15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has sights set on IPL glory:Inspired by Lara and Yuvraj, RR prodigy sheds light on cricketing journey

15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already become one of the players who many will watch out for in IPL 2026. A year ago, the explosive batter had made his IPL debut and smashed a six off the very first ball he faced. He then showed the world a glimpse of his immense talent with a 38-ball 101, becoming the youngest player to score an IPL ton. Cut to 2026 and now Sooryavanshi finds himself as an integral part of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) outfit. And the 15-year-old has his sights firmly set on winning the IPL with the inaugural champions this time. ‘Goal is to win the trophy’ Speaking on JioHotstar’s show ‘Dream On’, Sooryavanshi spoke about his game-plan, stating that he wants to win the silverware for his team this time around. The Rajasthan Royals are yet to win the IPL since being crowned champions in the first-ever edition in 2008. And the team is set to begin an all-new era this year with Riyan Parag as their full-time captain. “When I was picked, my only goal was to give the team a good start. I wanted to play my game in the Powerplay, and if I got a good start, I wanted to continue and play long without giving my wicket away,” he said. “I knew that if I played my shots, the scenario of the game would change, because chasing 200-plus runs would not be easy for any team. This season, the goal is to win the trophy for the team. My performances and the team’s performances will automatically get highlighted if we win the trophy, and that is the most important thing,” Sooryavanshi added. ‘Liked how Lara, Yuvraj finished matches single-handedly’ Sooryavanshi also revealed his admiration for greats Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh and how they finished off matches almost on their own. The youngster had become the youngest in IPL history to bag a contract when RR splashed Rs 1.1 crore to sign him in 2025. “I saw both Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh, finish matches single-handedly. If they were in, there was no chance for the opponent to come back into the game, and that was something I really liked about them,” he said. The Rajasthan Royals star, who is set to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal in IPL 2026, shed light on his cricketing journey and how he was picked by the Rajasthan Royals. “I made a lot of runs in domestic cricket for Bihar, in league games and probables. Sir then picked me for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, the BCCI’s U-19 tournament. I played that, followed by the Challengers Trophy. In 2023, there was a quadrangular series, with two teams from India, along with Bangladesh and England. I made my debut there. From there, I gradually progressed and made my Ranji Trophy debut,” he said. Sooryavanshi added, “Since my domestic debut, the Rajasthan Royals had started enquiring about me. They were watching me in domestic matches as well as India U-19 games, and their scouting team had their eye on me for a long time.” Also read: Rohit Sharma, Ramandeep Singh perform push-ups on field:Hitman records his fastest IPL fifty ‘Would play 400-500 balls without break’ Young Sooryavanshi’s coach, Manish Ojha, also spoke about his first encounter with the youngster in 2018. Ojha also spoke about Sooryavanshi’s six-hitting mindset with the youngster preferring to go for maximums over taking singles and doubles. “In 2018, he came to the academy with his father for the first time. From the start, it was clear he had potential and a real passion for cricket. He always liked to attack while batting and had beautiful timing. In every session, he would play 400-500 balls and wouldn’t stop unless I gave him a break. In 2022, during the open net sessions, he was given a 40-over slot to bat, 20 overs from new-ball bowlers and then spinners,” Ojha shared. “I noticed he preferred to play only big, lofted shots. I told him that as he progresses to U-16 and U-19 cricket for his state, he’ll have to face hundreds of deliveries and play long, because it starts with four-day cricket there. If you go for a big shot on every ball and ignore singles or doubles, you increase your chances of getting out. But he would say, ‘Sir, if I can hit a six on that ball, why take a single?’” he added.