Rahul Dravid Delivers Blunt 'Red Ball' Verdict On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: "He's Only 15"
Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid has a piece of advice for batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is set to feature in the upcoming Duleep Trophy.
- Rahul Dravid advised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to balance playing all cricket formats
- Sooryavanshi debuted in IPL at age 14 for Rajasthan Royals in 2025
- "All of us want to see Tests grow and we need players like him to play all formats of the game," said Dravid
Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid has a piece of advice for batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is set to feature in the upcoming Duleep Trophy. Sooryavanshi became the talk of the town after making his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals at the age of 14 in 2025 and breaking several records. He continued his scintillating form in the 2026 season, finishing as the tournament's highest run-scorer. His impressive performances earned him an international call-up, and he subsequently made his senior India debut against England.
As Sooryavanshi prepares to showcase his talent in red-ball cricket, Dravid stressed the importance of maintaining a balance across all formats for a player's overall development.
"I think you always have to find that balance. And I think it is a great thing that Vaibhav is getting the experience of playing some white-ball cricket through the IPL in India, but he is also having the time to go back and play red-ball cricket in the Indian domestic system and grow his red-ball career," Dravid said while speaking to ESPNCricinfo.
"All of us also want to see Tests survive, all of us want to see Tests grow and we need players like him to be able to hopefully play all formats of the game," he added.
Dravid, who served as Rajasthan Royals' head coach during the 2025 IPL season, played a key role in Sooryavanshi's emergence in the league. He added that regular exposure to red-ball cricket would further enhance the youngster's game.
"The good thing is he is going to take some time, he is going to need some experience, he is going to get an opportunity to play a lot of red-ball cricket. He hasn't played as much red-ball cricket as probably white-ball cricket," Dravid said.
"He is only 15 and I think you have got to just give him some time and you have got to be patient with him. He has obviously been such a success straightaway, right, but he is going to go through his ups and downs and I think people are going to have to be patient with him," he added.
Rajasthan Royals
India Cricket Team
Rahul Dravid