- By Namrata Vijay
- Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:30 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
BCCI Naman Awards 2026: Sanju Samson revealed details about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's fearless chat with Rahul Dravid in IPL 2025. In the previous edition, during a clash against Lucknow Super Giants, Sooryavanshi scripted history. He became the youngest player to make an IPL debut at 14 years and 23 days, playing for the Rajasthan Royals.
Samson revealed that Dravid asked the youngster about his plan. Sooryavanshi replied fearlessly, saying he would play his natural game. He added that he would smash the ball if he got the chance.
Samson also emphasized that Vaibhav played the match confidently. He was completely focused on his own game. It looked as though he was playing a video game.
Samson said, “I was at the meeting. Rahul Sir called him in and said, ‘Sanju, we need to talk to him. He’s very young; we have to guide him.’”
“So, Rahul Sir asked him, ‘Vaibhav, what’s the plan?’ Vaibhav said, ‘There’s nothing special, Sir. I’ll play, that’s it.’ Dravid followed up, ‘What’s your game plan?’ Vaibhav replied, ‘If I get the first ball in my zone, I’ll take the aerial route.’ That’s exactly what he did. He’s playing a video game of his own,” he said.
How did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi perform in IPL 2025?
Rajasthan Royals signed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for Rs 1.10 crore during the IPL 2025 mega auction. Vaibhav began his campaign by smashing a six off Shardul Thakur's over. Shardul bowled a good length ball towards off-stump. Vaibhav hit a huge six over the covers.
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The youngster made history in the previous edition. He became the youngest player in the tournament to score a hundred. He smashed 101 runs off 38 balls against the Gujarat Titans in Jaipur.
This was the quickest hundred by an Indian batter. It was also the second fastest in the tournament’s history. This brilliant innings helped him become one of the most exciting talents in world cricket.
After playing seven matches last year, he scored 252 runs. He averaged 36 and had a strike rate of 206.55. His highest score was 101. Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, Sooryavanshi was one of 13 players retained by the Rajasthan franchise.