Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has raised concerns over the fielding standards of teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi despite the Rajasthan Royals opener’s explosive run in the ongoing IPL season. The 15-year-old from Bihar once again made headlines with the bat against the Delhi Capitals on May 17, but a costly misfield in the deep prompted Kaif to question his all-round readiness for international cricket.
The comments come at a time when Sooryavanshi has been called up for the India A squad as he continues to emerge as one of the breakout stars of Indian Premier League 2026, combining fearless strokeplay with record-breaking six-hitting.
“It’s painful to watch the fielding in this IPL,” Kaif wrote on his X handle after Rajasthan Royals’ clash against Delhi Capitals. “Today Yash Raj dropped KL when he was on zero. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi too misfielded. The young boy hasn’t taken a catch this season.”
“While playing for India he needs to be sharper on the field. It is the duty of coaches to teach youngsters fielding skills. On their part, the boys should enjoy fielding and take pride in it,” Kaif added, stressing the importance of fielding discipline at the highest level.
The criticism came after a moment in the match against DC where Sooryavanshi, stationed at deep fine leg, failed to stop a boundary off Axar Patel’s shot against Yash Raj Punja. The incident followed lapse in the field by Yash Raj, who dropped KL Rahul on zero, adding to concerns around Rajasthan Royals’ fielding standards amongst youngsters despite their strong batting performances this season.
SOORYAVANSHI STORM IN IPL
Even as questions remain over his fielding, Sooryavanshi’s batting continues to attract widespread praise across the cricketing fraternity. The teenager added another milestone to his remarkable campaign against Delhi Capitals, becoming the Indian batter with the most sixes in a single IPL season.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh compared the youngster’s ball-striking ability to some of the game’s most destructive hitters and claimed he had rarely seen such dominance from a batter so early in an innings.
“I have played with many players, but I have never seen a batter like Suryavanshi who dominates every bowler from ball one,” Harbhajan told JioStar. “I have dismissed Chris Gayle many times, but Suryavanshi is at a different level altogether. His bat flow is something I have never seen.”
Sooryavanshi will continue to remain central to Rajasthan Royals’ campaign as the franchise pushes to secure a playoff spot in its remaining two league matches of the IPL 2026 season.
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