As he has all season, Rajasthan Royals head coach and director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara walked into the pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Delhi Capitals with one name orbiting every question: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, IPL’s 15-year-old impossible-to-ignore enigma.
Beyond the soaring sixes and growing hype, Sangakkarra offered a glimpse into the delicate balancing act of nurturing a talent many already consider extraordinary.
“Each player is different. You can’t fit everyone into one box. You’ve got to first spend enough time with them to understand how they think, what their personalities are, how they react to a challenge, what their emotional intelligence is and all of that.”
“There’s not a lot to do with Vaibhav. Everyone knows how talented he is. This is just the start. He’ll face different challenges as he grows older, starts playing more international cricket and bowlers try to plan against him. The one thing he should never lose is his enjoyment of batting.”
Despite the spotlight surrounding the teenager, Sangakkarra was quick to stress that the Royals are careful not to place him on a pedestal.
“We try to look after him like we do with any other player. He’s not a special project for us; he’s a special player. We’re very even-handed with how we treat our players.”
While Sooryavanshi has only strengthened his grip on the spotlight with every outing, opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal has endured a quieter run. Sangakkarra, however, dismissed any suggestion that the 25-year-old had faded into the background amid the buzz surrounding his younger teammate.
“Everyone focuses on Vaibhav because he’s young and exciting. He does things other batters can’t do. That’s the same with Yash (Jaiswal). He does things other batters can’t do, and that is just score runs in any condition against any attack. Anywhere in the world and in any format. I don’t think there’s any kind of notion of second fiddle. Yash just needs to keep focused, smile, relax and enjoy his batting. Every time he does that, he does well for us.”
RR has mirrored the chaos and drama of the IPL season. It began the campaign looking like a side capable of steamrolling the competition, only to find itself dragged into the turbulence of a crowded playoff race. Sangakkarra attributed the swings in form to the unforgiving and unpredictable nature of the tournament.
In another boost for RR, he confirmed that Riyan Parag has recovered from a hamstring niggle and returned to full fitness ahead of the season-defining stretch.
Published on May 16, 2026