All eyes will be on Stormont Cricket Club in Belfast on Friday as India weigh up whether to hand a debut to 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the opening T20I against Ireland. The teenager has risen rapidly through the ranks, impressing at Under-19 and A levels as well as in the IPL, where his fearless batting has drawn widespread attention.
Former India head coach Rahul Dravid, who worked with Sooryavanshi at Rajasthan Royals after picking him at the 2024 mega auction for Rs 1.1 crore, described him as a “unique talent”.
“You’re looking at a really unique talent. I think it’s an incredible combination of ability to pick up a bowler’s speed and then cricket smarts, fearlessness. It’s a whole combination of things. I don’t think there’s a recipe for making a Sooryavanshi, I don’t think you can take any kid and say, do this, and he will become that good,” he told BBC.
The 53-year-old also alluded to how, despite possessing the talent, the left-hander puts in the hard yards in the nets, facing many deliveries to improve his game. “There are certain things they are just gifted with. But he’s worked very hard as well, so it’s not just a gift. From a young age, he’s hit a lot of balls. I saw that at Rajasthan,” he added.
While the cricket world marvels at his abilities, Dravid also stressed the importance of managing his development carefully.
“I just hope that he’s supported and helped along the journey to be able to actually achieve that potential. You need to protect someone like him, but it’s always going to be that fine line because sometimes you need to let somebody fly.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan also praised Sooryavanshi, admitting that he had a great eye and an ability to understand what the bowler is going to bowl at him, before the ball is delivered.
“He clearly has an incredible eye and bat swing, but he’s also got an amazing awareness of the cue of the bowler. He can assess the field, but as a batter, you see a cue in what the bowler’s going to deliver. The real great players can just see it before the ball’s released,” Vaughan said.
