Delhi Capitals assistant coach Ian Bell has set his words straightforward on the plan to get rid of young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi early in their upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Match 62 of IPL 2026 on Sunday, May 17. Bell has expressed that he and bowling coach Munaf Patel have already discussed things at length for getting the better of Sooryavanshi.
Bell went on to further praise the opposition opener for his batting talent at the tender age of just fifteen. He further went on to add that Sooryavanshi is ultimately the biggest fish in the water whenever a team takes on the Rajasthan-based franchise, especially with the kind of immaculate stroke-making and exceptional ability to hit boundaries every other ball.Â
“I don’t want to give too much away. I think Munaf [Patel] said that last time as well. We’re not going to give too many plans away. He’s a fantastic young player, isn’t he? The talent is absolutely scary and we want to get him out early, there’s no doubt. When you play Rajasthan Royals, I think he’s the prized wicket and you want to get him out early because you know the damage he can do if he stays at the crease long enough,” Bell said at the pre-match press conference.
The veteran England batter is also aware of the fact that Sooryavanshi is well-prepared to take on the attack against any kind of bowling unit and shows hunger and desperation to score runs every time he takes the field. But Bell has also added that a lot of cricketers and teams have now started to plan differently against the mighty challenge that Sooryavanshi possesses in front of them.
“The guys would have done a lot of work. I’m sure he’ll be chomping at the bit as well because we got him out early last time, so he’ll be desperate to put that right, as all top players want to do. The challenge for any young player or any player in general is that you’ve got to keep evolving. It’s international cricket and IPL cricket. People will come up with plans, more knowledge and more videos,” Bell added.
“There’s no doubt people will start coming up with plans against him and then it becomes about evolving. But he’s got so much natural talent and good people around him. Trevor Penney and Kumar Sangakkara are there and he has amazing people guiding him well. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we see him with India as well. He’s a scary talent, really. It’s amazing to watch,” the former English cricketer concluded.
