Newly-appointed Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag has thrown his weight behind Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, encouraging the teenage prodigy to stick to his natural attacking game ahead of the IPL 2026 season.
Sooryavanshi was the breakout star of IPL 2025 as he was drafted into the Royals team to replace an injured Sanju Samson. The 14-year-old became the youngest player to ever debut in the Indian Premier League last season and went on to make the stage his own.
His 35-ball ton against the Gujarat Titans in only his second appearance in the competition was not only the quickest IPL ton by an Indian but also made him the youngest-ever centurion in the competition’s history.
He also scored a half-century against Chennai Super Kings last season. What stood out was the teenager’s unapologetic attacking batting style, which saw him go full throttle right from the first ball.
While a second season could potentially be more challenging for the teenager, with opponents wary of his growing reputation, Parag has backed Vaibhav to continue playing his natural game.
“My only message for Vaibhav is to go out and play. If the first ball is meant to be hit, hit it. There's no issue in that,” Riyan Parag said during a recent press conference in Jaipur.
With the Royals parting ways with Sanju Samson ahead of IPL 2026, Vaibhav is likely to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaisawal for RR in the upcoming campaign. Parag urged Vaibhav to lean on his senior opening partner whenever needed.
“Of course, he (Vaibhav) will have some pressure coming his way but I am going to tell him that whatever pressure is going to be there, Jaiswal will handle it as he is good enough to handle that role,” Parag said.
The new RR captain also reiterated his confidence in the youngster and said that the numbers speak for themselves.
“I don't think any young player has done what Vaibhav has over the last one year. He is scoring runs everywhere,” Parag added.
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Following his remarkable breakout IPL season with the Royals in 2025, Vaibhav has gone on to dominate both domestic and international U19 cricket with his firebrand style.
Last year, he played some memorable knocks and helped lead India to the final of the U19 Asia Cup.
Earlier this year, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi led India to their sixth U19 World Cup title with a Player of the Series effort in Zimbabwe and Namibia. He was India’s top scorer in the tournament with 439 runs and the second-highest overall.
More importantly, he was the difference maker in the final against England, as he scored 175 off 80 balls. His tally at the World Cup also included half-centuries against Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Parag also advised Vaibhav to keep his focus on his game.
