New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals (RR) teenaged opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi says his focus this season is firmly on helping the team lift the IPL trophy, something which has eluded the team since winning the inaugural season in 2008.

In IPL 2025, Sooryavanshi struck a 35-ball century while amassing 252 runs in seven games for RR. Now, he enters IPL 2026 on the back of being Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament in India’s U19 World Cup triumph this year.

“When I was picked, my only goal was to give the team a good start. I wanted to play my game in the Powerplay, and if I got a good start, I wanted to continue and play long without giving my wicket away. I knew that if I played my shots, the scenario of the game would change, because chasing 200-plus runs would not be easy for any team.

“This season, the goal is to win the trophy for the team. My performances and the team's performances will automatically get highlighted if we win the trophy, and that is the most important thing,” said Sooryavanshi to JioStar.

He also recalled the influence of his childhood heroes Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh, while going from Bihar set-up to higher level of cricket. “I saw both, Brian Lara and Yuvraj Singh, finish matches single-handedly. If they were in, there was no chance for the opponent to come back into the game, and that was something I really liked about them.

“I made a lot of runs in domestic cricket for Bihar, in league games and probables. Sir then picked me for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, the BCCI’s U-19 tournament. I played that, followed by the Challengers Trophy. In 2023, there was a quadrangular series, with two teams from India, along with Bangladesh and England. I made my debut there.

“From there, I gradually progressed and made my Ranji Trophy debut. Since my domestic debut, Rajasthan Royals had started enquiring about me. They were watching me in domestic matches as well as India U-19 games, and their scouting team had their eye on me for a long time,” he said.

His childhood coach Manish Ojha recalled the early signs of talent and appetite for batting long hours. “In 2018, he came to the academy with his father for the first time. From the start, it was clear he had potential and a real passion for cricket. He always liked to attack while batting and had beautiful timing.

“In every session, he would play 400-500 balls and wouldn’t stop unless I gave him a break. In 2022, during the open net sessions, he was given a 40-over slot to bat, 20 overs from new-ball bowlers and then spinners. I noticed he preferred to play only big, lofted shots.

“I told him that as he progresses to U-16 and U-19 cricket for his state, he’ll have to face hundreds of deliveries and play long, because it starts with four-day cricket there. If you go for a big shot on every ball and ignore singles or doubles, you increase your chances of getting out. But he would say, ‘Sir, if I can hit a six on that ball, why take a single?’"

Ojha also pointed to Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach in trials, which prompted RR to pick him up in the IPL. “Vaibhav was given different targets in the trials, and every time, he achieved them. For example, in the first over, he was given a target of scoring 18 runs, and he reached it in three balls.

“After that, he was told that he was playing more shots square of the wicket and was asked to play more on the off-side, and he responded by hitting big shots there as well. In another trial, he was given a target of scoring 24 runs in one over, which he achieved in five balls.”

--IANS

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