"Second Year Will Be Tough": Ex-India Star's Warning For Vaibhav Suryavanshi Ahead Of IPL 2026

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan gave an important advice to India's upcoming star and IPL prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The 14-year-old batter from Bihar first made the headlines after he became the youngest player to be sold in the IPL auction. He was acquired by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.1 crore. During IPL 2025, he also showed his true mettle and hammered a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans. His six-hitting ability against some of the top bowlers in the world grabbed everyone's attention.

As the Suryavanshi is enjoying his early success, Dhawan warned him to not get carried away with fame, money, and so much exposure.

"How old is he, 13-14? (To play IPL) at the age of 14, is a very big thing. The way he was hitting the bowlers and standing in front of the big boys of world cricket at such a young age is remarkable. When I look at his confidence while hitting the big shots... it's amazing. Thanks to IPL, our kids can now dream of getting into a big team from the age of 5. Vaibhav manifested that dream. He is there. A big congratulations to him and his family. A very proud moment for all of us in cricket. A 14-year-old kid playing a big league like that and dominating is unthinkable," Dhawan told Hindustan Times.

"For him, the challenge is going to be how he is gonna handle the fame, the attention, and the money as well. A blessing that happened to him is that he was in great hands... Rahul Bhai, Vikram Paji (coaches of Rajasthan Royals). They are very very good cricketers. They don't just believe in making good cricketers but good human beings as well. It's very important to be a good human being," he added.

The former Punjab Kings captain further stated that IPL 2026 will be a tough one for Suryavanshi as the bowlers will prepared to face him.

"I feel that the second year is gonna be a bit tough for him. Bowlers will know what his strength is. They are gonna plan better against him. He has to face those challenges and grow," said Dhawan.

"How he takes care of his mental health will be very important going forward because expectations will rise. The self-expectation will rise as well. How he is gonna handle all that stuff is what I am looking forward to seeing," he added.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Rajasthan Royals Vaibhav Suryavanshi Shikhar Dhawan Cricket