Updated 16 March 2026 at 14:46 IST
Sanju Samson Spills on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Quirky Pre-Game Strategy Ahead Of Latter's IPL Debut
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fearless IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals impressed Sanju Samson and Rahul Dravid, as the teen vowed to hit his first ball for sixl, later delivering a record season and U19 WC glory.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became one of the IPL's hottest sensations from ball one. Even though the Rajasthan Royals had an awful season in 2025, the young cricketer made his debut count with his smashing performance in the game.
Rajasthan Royals’ ₹1.1 crore investment in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi proved invaluable, as he delivered a record-breaking IPL season and later starred for Team India in their U19 World Cup triumph.
Sanju Samson recently spilt the beans on what Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had in mind before making his IPL debut with the Rajasthan Royals.
Sanju Samson Unveils Vaibhav Suryavanshi's Pre-Game Plan for IPL Debut
Sanju Samson revealed that then-head coach Rahul Dravid and he had a chat with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi before his IPL debut against the Lucknow Super Giants in Jaipur.
The duo had a meeting with the young kid to discuss how to proceed. Dravid then inquired about Sooryavanshi's plans, to which he responded that he would play.
“I was actually there in the meeting. Rahul Sir called him into the room and told me, ‘Sanju, we need to talk to him. He’s a very young kid, we have to explain how to go about it.’
“So Rahul Sir asked him, ‘Vaibhav, what’s the plan?’ Vaibhav replied, ‘Kuch nahi sir, hum to khelenge.’ Rahul Sir asked again, ‘What’s your game plan?’" Sanju Samson said at the BCCI's annual NAMAN Awards.
Sanju Samson further revealed that when Rahul Dravid further pressed him about his game plan, the 14-year-old said that he would launch the first ball he would face.
"‘Agar hume pehla ball mila to hum pehla hi uda denge.’ And that’s exactly what he did,” the Indian wicketkeeper-batter added.
Vaibhav Sooryacanshi Had A Thunderous IPL Debut Season
On his maiden IPL outing, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi faced Shardul Thakur, smashing a memorable six in the 2025 season. The 14-year-old has been unstoppable ever since in the tournament.
Sooryavanshi went on to smash a 35-ball hundred against the Gujarat Titans in Jaipur, making history as the youngest centurion in T20 cricket. The 14-year-old also smashed the second-fastest ton in the history of the Indian Premier League.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi wrapped up the IPL 2025 season by scoring 252 runs in seven matches at an exceptional strike rate of 206.55.
Published By : Pavitra Shome
Published On: 16 March 2026 at 14:46 IST