&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘I’ll take the aerial route’: Sanju Samson reveals Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s chat with Rahul Dravid")
India's star opener Sanju Samson shared a story about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s conversation with coach Rahul Dravid during the Indian Premier League 2025. Last year, in an match against Lucknow Super Giants, Sooryavanshi created history by becoming the youngest player to debut in the IPL at just 14 years and 23 days, representing Rajasthan Royals.
Samson said Dravid called the young batter for a discussion before the game and wanted to guide him because he was so young. During the meeting, Dravid asked Sooryavanshi about his plan for the match and the youngster replied very casually, saying he would just play his natural game. He added that if the first ball came in his hitting area, he would try to hit it in the air.
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Samson explained that Sooryavanshi seemed completely relaxed and confident, almost as if he was playing a video game in his own world. Dravid had asked him about his game plan, but the teenager simply said he would play his shots and not think too much.
“I meant I was there in the meeting. So, Rahul Sir invited him to the room. Sir said, ‘Sanju, we need to talk to him. He’s a very young kid; we have to tell him how to go about it’,” Samson said at the Naman Awards in New Delhi.
“So, Rahul Sir asked him, ‘Vaibhav, what’s the plan?’ Vaibhav said, “There’s nothing special, Sir. I’ll play, that’s it”. Dravid asked ‘What’s your game plan?’
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“Vaibhav said, “if I get the first ball in my zone, I’ll take the aerial route”. That’s exactly what he did actually. He’s playing a video game of his own,” Samson added.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s performance in IPL 2025
Sooryavanshi was bought by Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025 mega auction for INR 1.10 crore when he was only 13. During the 2025 season, Sooryavanshi played seven matches, scoring 252 runs at an average of 36 and an impressive strike rate of 206.55, with a highest score of 101. His performances quickly marked him as one of the most promising young talents in world cricket.
The left-handed batter also made history by scoring 101 off just 38 balls against Gujarat Titans at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. This knock became the fastest IPL century by an Indian and the second-fastest overall in the league.
