How to Dismiss Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? Harbhajan Singh Reveals ‘Only Way’ to Get His Wicket

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has revealed his aggressive strategy for dismissing young batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Praising the 15-year-old IPL Orange Cap winner as a 'unique' talent, Harbhajan insists that attacking to take his wicket is the only way to counter his explosive batting, rather than attempting defensive containment.

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh revealed his strategy for dismissing young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is known for his explosiveness and fearless strokeplay in domestic cricket and the IPL.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already captured the imagination of the cricketing world with his extraordinary talent, including historic milestones as the youngest player and centurion in IPL history. In IPL 2026, the 15-year-old had a season to remember, as he amassed 776 runs and became the youngest player to win an Orange Cap.

Sooryavanshi’s performance led to his maiden national call-up at the age of 15 and made his international debut in the T20I series against England. The young batter had a breakthrough T20I series against Zimbabwe, where he amassed 151 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10 in three matches.

‘He is a Unique Player’

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise has been meteoric, leaving veterans like Harbhajan Singh in awe of his ability to dominate world-class attacks at such a tender age. Speaking to the Press Trust of India (PTI), Harbhajan hailed the young batting prodigy as a ‘unique’ player, adding that he has never seen anyone else dominate international and domestic bowling attacks with such authority at just 14 or 15 years old.

“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is extraordinary. He is a unique player. I have not seen a player like him before, one who can dominate the world at 14-15 years of age,” the former India off-spinner said.

“When the world's top bowlers are bowling to him, they are actually thinking about where to bowl. That itself is a big, big statement,” he added.

🚨 “SURVIVE NAHI, ATTACK KARUNGA!” – HARBHAJAN ON VAIBHAV 🔥

🎙️ Anchor: “Suppose you are 22 now and you are playing in IPL against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. What would you do? Will you flight a ball, keep a first slip as well?”

🗣️ Harbhajan Singh: “Bilkul rakhta. Field set main wo… pic.twitter.com/UGnIHbFh2J

— Sunil Gavaskar (@virender_swag) August 13, 2026

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi first shot to fame following his record-breaking 101-run knock against the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025, and then he carried on his explosive batting in domestic and youth cricket, cementing his reputation as one of the most dangerous and fearless openers in the modern game.

The 15-year-old’s 776-run campaign in the IPL 2026 further solidified his status as a generational talent, earning him the Orange Cap and paving the way for his rapid rise to the international stage.

How to Stop Vaibhav’s Explosiveness?

Since Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive batting has become a massive headache for opposition captains, bowlers often struggle to find a reliable formula to contain him during the powerplay. However, Harbhajan provided a strategy that rejects defensive containment in favour of a direct, aggressive mindset aimed squarely at taking his wicket.

“The only way to survive is to attack him. You go at him, and you take his wicket. It may not work all the time. Sometimes you might even get smashed. He would've hit sixes. But that is part of the game. You have to accept that he's good,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.

“I won't set the field according to what he's doing. I'll set the field according to what I'm doing. If I bowl to escape, I won't be able to get him out.. You go at him, and you take his wicket. You might get success, you might not. That's just a matter of time. You have to accept that he's good,” he added.

Meanwhile, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returned to training ahead of the upcoming Duldeep Trophy season, where he will represent East Zone. He was appointed as East Zone vice-captain, with Ishan Kishan leading the side as captain.