Rahul Dravid believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could give Test cricket an “exciting future”, but the former India captain wants the 15-year-old’s development to be carefully managed as he begins another chapter in red-ball cricket.
Sooryavanshi is set to feature for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy, giving him an important opportunity to build continuity in the longer format after making a huge impact in white-ball cricket. Dravid, who coached him at Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, believes that balance could ultimately determine whether the teenager develops into an all-format cricketer.
“Hopefully someday if he does well and performs well like he has in white-ball cricket, he might become a red-ball player for India,” Dravid told Cricinfo.
“And how exciting that would be for the world game as well.”
The comments come as Sooryavanshi prepares to spend more time in the format that has so far formed the smaller part of his rapidly developing career.
A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE
Sooryavanshi has played only eight first-class matches and averages 17.25, with his appearances lacking the continuity that comes from spending a sustained period in domestic red-ball cricket.
The Duleep Trophy offers him exactly that opportunity. More red-ball cricket could follow when India A face Australia A in two unofficial Tests in September.
For Dravid, that exposure is more important than rushing the teenager into an endless cycle of T20 competitions.
“I think you always have to find that balance,” he said.
“And I think it’s a great thing that Vaibhav is getting the experience of playing some white-ball cricket through the IPL in India, but he’s also having the time to go back and play red-ball cricket in the Indian domestic system and grow his red-ball career.”
The shift from T20 cricket to the longer format will demand a different kind of adjustment. Sooryavanshi has already shown that he can dominate attacks with aggressive strokeplay, but first-class cricket will test his ability to build an innings, absorb pressure and maintain concentration over much longer periods.
“The good thing is he’s going to take some time, he’s going to need some experience, he’s going to get an opportunity to play a lot of red-ball cricket,” Dravid said.
“He’s not played as much red-ball cricket as probably white-ball cricket.”
Dravid also stressed that the teenager’s progress will not be linear.
“He’s only 15 and I think you’ve got to just give him some time and you’ve got to be patient with him,” he said. “He’s obviously been such a success straightaway, right, but he’s going to go through his ups and downs and I think people are going to have to be patient with him.”
MORE THAN SOORYAVANSHI
For Dravid, the significance of Sooryavanshi’s red-ball development goes beyond the player’s own prospects.
Test cricket continues to compete with the global T20 landscape for players’ time, making the development of young cricketers capable of committing to all three formats increasingly important.
“All of us also want to see Test cricket survive, all of us want to see Test cricket grow, and we need players like him to be able to hopefully play all formats of the game,” Dravid said.
That is why Dravid sees Sooryavanshi’s decision to spend time in India’s domestic red-ball system as a positive development.
“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, by not playing in T20 competitions all over the world, is actually playing in the red-ball Indian domestic competition. He’s growing, he’s getting better at red-ball skills,” he said.
The former India captain accepts that there will be difficult periods along the way.
“I think he’s going to have some success but he also might have periods where it probably doesn’t work out well for him,” Dravid said. “But let’s all remember he’s only 15 and he has a long way to go.”
For now, Sooryavanshi’s immediate task is to make the most of the Duleep Trophy and gain the experience that Dravid believes he needs. An India Test career remains a distant possibility rather than an immediate expectation, but the foundation is being laid in the domestic game.
If Sooryavanshi can eventually make the transition from teenage T20 sensation to India red-ball player, Dravid believes the significance could extend well beyond one cricketer. His development could offer Test cricket another young, multi-format player at a time when the longest format needs them most.
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