Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Told To "Watch Out For Sharks" After Golden Duck Against SRH
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has emerged as the biggest teenage cricketing talent in the world. His early rise also worries those who want him to do well in the long haul.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dismissed for a first-ball duck against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026
- Simon Doull cautioned Vaibhav about management companies focused on profit over his growth
- Doull emphasised the importance of protecting Vaibhav’s career and warned him to "watch out for sharks"
Undoubtedly the biggest teenage talent in world cricket at the moment, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had a sort of a blip in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). The current Orange Cap holder in the T20 league, Vaibhav, was dismissed for a first-ball duck in the match after Hyderabad debutant Praful Hinge executed the plan he manifested to absolute perfection. Seeing Vaibhav incur his first failure of the season, former New Zealand bowler Simon Doull advised the Rajasthan youngster to "watch out for sharks" who are only keen about making money off him.
Vaibhav has emerged as the biggest rising star in Indian cricket. The start of the IPL 2026 season has already seen him bag a few brand endorsements. The future looks incredibly bright for the youngster, especially in white-ball cricket. Hence, Doull has asked him to be wary of those trying to use him.
"It is a word of caution. He already is a bit of a superstar. If things carry on, we all hope he will continue to be a superstar, an Indian superstar, in white-ball cricket in particular. It's the people you surround yourself with. He would have had every management company looking for him and trying to find deals for him," Doull said during a chat on Cricbuzz.
"Management companies and management people are there to look after you. Too many of them only think about looking out for themselves. How much can I make of this young man? How much can my company make of this young man? That's the biggest issue I have with management companies worldwide," he added.
These are foundational years for Vaibhav in his cricketing career. Doull, hence, is worried for the 15-year-old, warning him against working with the wrong managers who would only be worried about their own profits and not his cricketing growth.
"They all worry about what they can make, not how well I should be looking out for this young man? How much should I be looking out for his career? And not making him do much at this point. The longevity should be there. If you stop performing, they would go be chasing the next bloke because that's what managers do," said Doull.
"Just be careful who you surround yourself with. If he's got a good family and upbringing, he would be okay. But just watch out for the sharks," he added.
Rajasthan Royals