Rahul Dravid urges patience with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and backs a red-ball path

Cricket is trending across India after former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid spoke about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old batter who became a household name with his fearless white-ball hitting. Dravid's message was simple: the teenager should keep developing his red-ball game alongside the IPL, because playing the longer format is what shapes an all-format cricketer.

Dravid also asked fans and selectors for patience. Sooryavanshi is still a schoolboy in cricketing terms, has played far more white-ball than red-ball cricket, and will naturally have quiet days as well as spectacular ones. Dravid suggested that Test cricket benefits from attacking players like him, and that giving him time now is more useful than rushing him.

The timing explains the search spike. Sooryavanshi has been named vice-captain of East Zone for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy, which starts on 23 August in Bengaluru, giving him a run of first-class cricket against experienced bowlers. For a player best known for short-format fireworks, it is a chance to show he can build long innings too.