Rahul Dravid Emphasizes Patience and Red-Ball Focus for Vaibhav Suryavanshi

Vaibhav Suryavanshi has already accomplished more than most young cricketers do in their entire youth careers. After making his IPL debut for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at just 14 years old in 2025, the prodigy continued his spectacular rise in IPL 2026, ultimately finishing the season as the tournament’s leading run-scorer. His exceptional performances earned him a call-up to the senior Indian squad, resulting in his international debut against England.

As Suryavanshi prepares to compete in the prestigious Duleep Trophy, former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid has shared insights into the young batsman’s development and the crucial next steps in his career.

Rahul Dravid highlights the importance of red-ball cricket

Dravid believes that Suryavanshi stands to benefit significantly from balancing both white-ball and red-ball cricket at this early stage of his career. The former India coach noted that while the youngster has already gained invaluable exposure through the IPL, the domestic red-ball environment provides a vital platform to develop his longer-format game. Dravid emphasized that nurturing players capable of excelling across all formats is essential for the sustained 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

Having served as the Rajasthan Royals’ head coach during the 2025 IPL season, Dravid played a direct role in Suryavanshi’s early development at the franchise. He believes that consistent exposure to red-ball cricket will add a new dimension to the young batter’s game. Additionally, the former India captain urged fans and selectors to show patience, reminding everyone that Suryavanshi is still merely 15 years old and will naturally face fluctuations in performance despite his extraordinary beginning.

“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 serve as another vital opportunity to gain experience in the longer format. For Dravid, the path forward is clear: provide the young cricketer with the time he needs to develop while offering him ample opportunities to grow across all three formats of the game.

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