Rahul Dravid Backs Teen Prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi To Become All-Format Star Ahead of Duleep Trophy

Former India captain Rahul Dravid expects 15-year-old batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to develop into an all-format player. The young batsman will soon represent East Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy.

Sooryavanshi will test his red-ball skills following a standout Indian Premier League season in the Duleep Trophy. The teenager secured a T20I debut in England in June after his breakout franchise performance

Dravid stressed the importance of long-form cricket for developing players. Speaking to Cricinfo, in remarks reported by Moneycontrol, Dravid said, "All of us also want to see Tests survive, all of us want to see Tests grow and we need players like him to be able to hopefully play all formats of the game."

Balancing Both Formats

Dravid previously coached the teenager at the Rajasthan Royals during the 2025 Indian Premier League. The former India captain has closely monitored the 15-year-old's progress.

Despite the batsman's lack of consistency in the longer format, his domestic red-ball campaigns faced frequent disruptions due to India U19 commitments. He averages a meek 17.25 over 12 innings across three stints in the Ranji Trophy Plate League.

Dravid outlined the importance of maintaining dual-format exposure. Speaking to Cricinfo, Dravid said, "I think you always have to find that balance. And I think it is a great thing that Vaibhav is getting the experience of playing some white-ball cricket through the IPL in India, but he is also having the time to go back and play red-ball cricket in the Indian domestic system and grow his red-ball career."

Patience For Teen Prodigy

Acknowledging the inevitable challenges ahead, Dravid urged patience as Sooryavanshi builds his first-class career.

A prolonged run in domestic long-form cricket will benefit the youngster. Dravid said, "The good thing is he is going to take some time, he is going to need some experience, he is going to get an opportunity to play a lot of red-ball cricket. He hasn’t played as much red-ball cricket as probably white-ball cricket."

Dravid added, "He is only 15 and I think you have got to just give him some time and you have got to be patient with him. He has obviously been such a success straightaway, right, but he is going to go through his ups and downs and I think people are going to have to be patient with him."