Rahul Dravid has urged patience with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the 15-year-old takes on a crucial red-ball phase. The Duleep Trophy could give the IPL sensation valuable first-class experience and time to develop.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has managed to become one of the most discussed young cricketers due to his impressive show in the white-ball format, especially the IPL. But former India head coach Rahul Dravid feels the young prodigy needs time and regular chances to get used to playing in the longer version of the game.
Dravid, who was part of Sooryavanshi's coaching during his tenure as the coach of Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, has emphasized the need for maintaining realistic expectations from the talented teenager as he steps into yet another vital stage of his cricket career.
Dravid Asks Sooryavanshi To Develop Across All Formats
The quick rise of Sooryavanshi has been amazing, but Dravid feels the development of the young talent cannot be solely based on his show in T20s. Speaking at an ETPL event in Dublin, the former Indian skipper mentioned the significance of giving the teenager a chance to play both white-ball and red-ball cricket.
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"IPL is doing a lot for Sooryavanshi by providing him exposure and now he can even play red ball cricket in India," Dravid told ESPNcricinfo.
Developing a player who can contribute in all formats has also been one of the key areas highlighted by Dravid. Given that Test cricket continues to be an important format of the international game, he feels players like Sooryavanshi should be provided with the right platform to develop into well-rounded cricketers.
Big Red-Ball Opportunity Through Duleep Trophy For Sooryavanshi
The youngster's first priority is the Duleep Trophy, where he is expected to play for the East Zone. This tournament will offer him some important first-class cricket.
He has just played eight first-class matches till now and has an average of 17.25 in the format. His lack of experience in red-ball cricket makes his coming domestic season very crucial.
Playing more red-ball cricket, according to Dravid, will help the teenager get a hang of how tough it is to bat in red-ball cricket.
"He Is Only 15": Dravid Tells Fans Not To Expect Too Much
The young man is in the early stages of his career and would go through both successful and tough periods. According to Dravid, these failures are part of growth and not an excuse for harsh criticism.
If Sooryavanshi keeps getting better at playing with the red ball while continuing to perform well with the white ball, according to Dravid, there is a good possibility that he will end up becoming an international player for India.
