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By:

Waleed Hussain

4 March 2025 at 2:34:30 pm

The Taming of the Teen Tornado

In the high-octane circus of the Indian Premier League, few phenomena have exploded onto the scene quite like Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The Bihar prodigy, still a teenager at 15, burst into global consciousness in IPL 2025 as the youngest debutant and centurion in T20 history. His 101 off 38 balls against Gujarat Titans wasn’t just a knock; it was a declaration of intent from a player who treats boundaries as birthrights and bowlers as mere target practice. With a career strike rate hovering...

The Taming of the Teen Tornado

In the high-octane circus of the Indian Premier League, few phenomena have exploded onto the scene quite like Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The Bihar prodigy, still a teenager at 15, burst into global consciousness in IPL 2025 as the youngest debutant and centurion in T20 history. His 101 off 38 balls against Gujarat Titans wasn’t just a knock; it was a declaration of intent from a player who treats boundaries as birthrights and bowlers as mere target practice. With a career strike rate hovering around 225 across 17 matches and a penchant for clearing ropes with frightening regularity—61 sixes already—Suryavanshi represented the ultimate nightmare for opposition captains. Yet, as IPL 2026 unfolds, a fascinating trend has emerged: teams appear to have devised blueprints to neutralize him before he enters that devastating “out of control” mode. This isn’t about diminishing his talent. Suryavanshi remains a generational prospect, capable of single-handedly tilting games. But cricket at the elite level is a game of adaptations, and the league’s collective brain trust has spent the off-season and early 2026 matches poring over footage, identifying triggers, and deploying targeted strategies. The result? More frequent low scores, golden ducks, and frustrated walks back to the pavilion, even as his overall numbers stay imposing. The primary weapon has been early aggression against his powerplay instincts. Suryavanshi is an opener who thrives on momentum, often launching into sixes from ball one. Captains have responded by setting aggressive fields and using pace variations immediately. Deepak Chahar’s masterclass in 2025, where he dismissed the youngster for a duck with a clever plan, highlighted the value of swing and seam movement early on. By denying width and tempting him with balls that move away or hold the line, bowlers force Suryavanshi to manufacture shots, disrupting his timing. In one notable 2026 outing against Lucknow Super Giants, he managed just 8 off 11, mistiming a length ball outside off after the top order collapsed. Mohsin Khan’s dismissal of him—inducing a toe-ender to cover—showcased how disciplined lines can exploit slight technical lapses when the youngster tries to force the pace. Spin has emerged as another potent tool. While Suryavanshi’s hand-eye coordination makes him dangerous against slower balls, teams are using mystery spinners and left-arm orthodox options to vary trajectories and exploit any impatience. His dot-ball percentage, though low, reveals moments where he hunts boundaries excessively. Bowlers who can land the ball in the “corridor of uncertainty” or use the carrom ball effectively have succeeded in building pressure, forcing errors. Praful Hinge’s golden duck dismissal in 2026 offered a “secret recipe” that others are emulating: tight channels combined with clever changes in pace. Data analytics and opposition scouting have played a silent but decisive role. Teams now track Suryavanshi’s triggers—his front-foot dominance against pace, preference for leg-side heaves when set, and occasional vulnerability to short balls if the seam position is right. By preparing specific match-ups (right-arm seamers angling across him, or spinners from over the wicket targeting leg stump), captains are minimizing the window for him to settle. This proactive approach contrasts with the reactive panic of 2025, when many teams simply fed him width and watched the ball sail into the stands. Critics might argue this “taming” reflects negatively on the bowler-friendly conditions or defensive captaincy. But that’s missing the point. IPL cricket evolves rapidly, and Suryavanshi’s emergence has accelerated that evolution. Young talents force the ecosystem to innovate. Remember how early Virat Kohli or AB de Villiers prompted fielding restrictions and bowling tweaks? Suryavanshi is in that league. His explosive starts demand perfection from the outset; one loose over, and the game can slip away. Teams that execute plans—short spells of high-intensity bowling, smart rotations, and mental warfare—have found success in curtailing him to 20-30 ball cameos rather than match-defining marathons. This cat-and-mouse dynamic benefits Indian cricket immensely. For Suryavanshi, these challenges are crucibles for growth. Already battle-hardened from U19 successes and Ranji exposure at an absurdly young age, he is learning to rotate strike, play percentage cricket when needed, and temper his aggression without losing intent. His emotional reactions to dismissals—tears on debut, visible frustration—reveal a fierce competitor who hates failure. That fire, channeled correctly, will make him unstoppable. Coaches like Rahul Dravid at Rajasthan Royals are undoubtedly working on mindset and technique to counter these plans. For franchises, the lesson is clear: superstar management requires homework. Blindly respecting reputations leads to carnage; targeted execution yields results. We’ve seen this with other phenoms—teams eventually found ways to quiet even the most destructive hitters through variations, intelligence, and execution. Suryavanshi’s case proves no one is immune, no matter how prodigious. Yet, one senses this is temporary. The teenager’s talent is raw and boundless. As he decodes these strategies, his game will expand—perhaps better leaving balls in the channel, improved footwork against spin, or devastating counters to short-pitched stuff. By IPL 2027 or beyond, he might laugh at these early “solutions.” In the end, the IPL’s beauty lies in this relentless arms race. Teams have indeed figured out ways to dismiss Vaibhav Suryavanshi before he runs amok—for now. It forces excellence from everyone: bowlers must be precise, captains astute, and the batter must evolve. Cricket wins. Fans win. And a 15-year-old superstar, tempered by these battles, will emerge even more formidable. The tornado hasn’t been stopped; it’s merely being studied so the next gust can be even more thrilling. (The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

Forensic Pathology: A Critical Link Between Death and the Legal System

From ancient Ayurvedic texts to AI-powered autopsies, forensic pathology has evolved into a cornerstone of criminal investigation, decoding the silent testimony of the dead to uphold justice.

Forensic pathology is a specialist medical discipline that investigates the cause and manner of death via the examination of deceased individuals. It is essential to criminal investigations, particularly regarding suspicious or inexplicable deaths. By analysing the body and associated evidence precisely, forensic pathologists provide crucial insights that help law enforcement agencies solve crimes and deliver justice.


Forensic pathology in India has deep historical roots, tracing back to ancient Ayurvedic writings that touched upon post-mortem examinations and bodily injuries. The discipline was formalised during the British colonial era, when structured medicolegal autopsies and documentation practices were introduced. These developments also contributed to modern dactylography (fingerprint analysis), laying the foundation for contemporary forensic science in India. Globally, forensic pathology emerged as a formal discipline in the 19th century. Jean Lobstein, considered one of the pioneers, became the first professor of pathology at the University of Strassburg. Its roots, however, lie farther back in Renaissance Europe, when Antonio Benivieni invented systematic autopsies as a means of comprehending illness and death. The Constitutio Criminalis Carolina, which required autopsy for suspicious deaths, strengthened the legal recognition of forensic pathology.


In India, forensic pathology has played a pivotal role in several high-profile criminal cases. The Jessica Lal murder case of 1999, the Sheena Bora murder in 2012, and the Aarushi Talwar-Hemraj Banjade double murder in 2008 are notable examples where forensic pathology was crucial. Despite post-mortem reports indicating fatal blunt-force trauma and throat slitting, some of these cases remain unresolved due to investigative shortcomings. More recently, in the 2023 Shraddha Walkar case, forensic experts used DNA profiling and tool-mark analysis to identify dismembered remains and confirm it was a case of homicide. Similarly, in the Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case of 1996, forensic evidence such as striation marks on a helmet became conclusive after being investigated by the Delhi High Court.


In recent years, technological advancements have revolutionised forensic pathology. Postmortem Imaging, also known as Virtopsy, uses 3D virtual autopsies to examine bodies in a noninvasive way. Advanced histopathology and immunohistochemistry techniques allow detailed cellular and molecular analysis of tissues to detect subtle pathological changes. Digital autopsy platforms integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) streamline workflows, reduce human error, and accelerate report generation. Recent advancements in forensic pathology include the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of autopsy analyses. AI models are being developed to assist in age estimation, gender determination, and identification of injury patterns, thereby augmenting the capabilities of forensic pathologists.


Artificial intelligence, like ForensixTM and other tools, uses biochemical and environmental factors to estimate time-of-death intervals. Automation of workflow in digital autopsy platforms reduces human error by streamlining the creation of reports.


Several prominent Indian forensic pathologists have contributed significantly to the field. Dr. Sudhir Gupta of AIIMS led the forensic investigation in the Sheena Bora case, while Dr. R.K. Sharma (Retired, AIIMS) played a major role in the Jessica Lal case. Experts like Dr. V.V. Pillay from the Toxicology Research Centre, Mumbai, and Dr. R. Badhe from the Chennai Forensic Lab are renowned for their expert testimony in narcotics and sexual assault cases, respectively.


Forensic pathology remains an indispensable pillar of criminal investigation in India and worldwide. Its evolution from ancient Ayurvedic texts to cutting-edge AI-powered digital autopsies highlights the dynamic nature of this field. By combining scientific rigour with technological innovation, forensic pathology continues to advance the cause of justice, ensuring that truth prevails even in the most complex cases. "When applied with integrity, science is the ally of justice," the Supreme Court noted.


(Dr. Kumar is a retired IPS officer and forensic advisor to the Assam government. Phukan is a student of National University of Forensic Science, Guwahati.)

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