Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the Rajasthan Royals opening batter, continues to go from strength to strength, and his recent Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 performances impressed the selectors, leading to his selection in the India A squad for the Tri-Series in Sri Lanka. The 15-year-old started the 19th edition of the T20 tournament with a bang, but lately he has failed to convert starts into substantial scores. However, the youngster would look to change the tide of the grudge match against the Delhi Capitals.
In the first fixture against Delhi, Sooryavanshi lasted just two balls in Jaipur as his stumps were rattled by Kyle Jamieson. The left-handed batter would now look to better his record and get one up over the likes of Mitchell Starc and Lungi Ngidi.
Ahead of the match against the Royals, Delhi assistant coach Ian Bell said that his team are well prepared for the Sooryavanshi challenge. However, he refrained from revealing what his bowlers’ game plan would be come Sunday, May 17.
“I don’t want to give too much away. I think Munaf said that last time as well. We’re not going to give away too many plans. He’s a fantastic young player, isn’t he? The talent is absolutely scary, and we want to get him out early; there’s no doubt. When you play Rajasthan Royals, I think he’s the prized wicket, and you want to get him out early because you know the damage he can do if he stays at the crease long enough,” Bell told reporters in the pre-match press conference.
“The guys would have done a lot of work. I’m sure he’ll be chomping at the bit as well because we got him out early last time, so he’ll be desperate to put that right, as all top players want to do,” he added.
Challenge for the youngster
As Sooryavanshi has been selected for the India A lineup, Bell also advised the youngster to keep evolving, as teams are now starting to plan properly against him.
“The challenge for any young player or any player in general is that you’ve got to keep evolving. It’s international cricket and IPL cricket. People will come up with plans, gain more knowledge, and create more videos. There’s no doubt people will start coming up with plans against him, and then it becomes about evolving. But he’s got so much natural talent and good people around him,” said Bell.
“Trevor Penney and Kumar Sangakkara are there, and he has amazing people guiding him well. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we see him with India as well. He’s a scary talent, really. It’s amazing to watch,” he added.
Sooryavanshi is the leading run-scorer for the Royals in the IPL 2026 season, with 440 runs to his name in 11 games.
