BCCI asked to ‘handhold’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: ‘Sport not just about physical skill’

The Rajasthan Royals' opening batter has already scored more than 500 runs (583) in the 19th edition of the T20 tournament, and would hope to take his team into Qualifier 2 when his side takes on the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 28, in Mullanpur.

As the euphoria around Sooryavanshi continues to grow, Arun Dhumal, the IPL chairman, nudged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Royals to handhold the teen prodigy so his temperament stays intact.

"And definitely, we will do our bit to make sure that the kind of skill set he has allows him to perform for India for many, many years to come," he added.

“Like any great player, he will also go through ups and downs. That is the uniqueness of sport. He will fail. He will go down. But this is what sport trains you for. You get up and give a better performance in the next game. That is very integral to preparing you for life. Life will never be a one-way street where you only rise,” said Dhumal.

"I am sure the boy, given his performances throughout this season and as part of the U-19 team, would have seen many failures. But in the next game, he would have tried to perform even better and help his team win," added the veteran administrator.

In the IPL 2026 season, Sooryavanshi already has a century to his name, and coincidentally, it came against the Sunrisers in the group stage. He has maintained a strike rate of 232.27 and has hit more sixes (53) than fours (50).

"Vaibhav embodies IPL's tagline, which is, 'where talent meets opportunity.' That boy is something else, isn't he?" said Dhumal.

“Talent had always been there, but how do they get the opportunity? That opportunity, that platform, has been granted by the IPL,” he added.

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