Vaibhav Suryavanshi has already achieved plenty at an age when most young cricketers are only beginning to make their way through domestic cricket. After making his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals (RR) at 14 in 2025, the youngster continued his impressive run in IPL 2026 and finished the season as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. His performances also earned him an India call-up and a senior international debut against England.
With Suryavanshi now set to feature in the Duleep Trophy, former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid has spoken about the next stage of his development and what the youngster needs as he continues his journey.
Rahul Dravid highlights the importance of red-ball cricket
Dravid believes Suryavanshi can benefit greatly from playing both white-ball and red-ball cricket at this stage of his career. The former India coach pointed out that the youngster has already gained valuable exposure through the IPL but now has an opportunity to develop his red-ball game through domestic cricket. Dravid also stressed that having players capable of succeeding across formats is important for the future of Test cricket.
“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. 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,” Dravid told ESPNcricinfo.
Dravid urges patience with Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Dravid, who was Rajasthan Royals’ head coach during the 2025 IPL season, played a role in Suryavanshi’s early development at the franchise. He believes regular exposure to red-ball cricket can add another dimension to the youngster’s game. The former India captain also reminded everyone that Suryavanshi is still only 15 and will naturally experience ups and downs despite his remarkable start.
“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 is only 15 and I think you’ve got to just give him some time and you’ve got to be patient with him,” Dravid concluded.
Suryavanshi’s upcoming Duleep Trophy campaign will therefore provide another opportunity for him to gain valuable experience in the longer format. For Dravid, the priority is clear: allow the youngster enough time to develop while giving him opportunities to grow across all three formats.
