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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been one of the most talked about cricketer in this year so far. The 15-year-old boy wonder made his debut for the India National Cricket Team in England. Now the Southpaw returns to red-ball cricket for the Duleep Trophy ahead of the tournament; his childhood coach, Manish Ojha, shared his views on Sooryavanshi making it to India’s Test team.
The boy wonder was excellent in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 for Rajasthan Royals (RR) as he won the Orange Cap and the MVP for his exceptional performances. Now he has been named as the vice-captain of the East Zone side for the forthcoming domestic tournament. Sooryavanshi needs to change his style as the game changes to red-ball, which is tough.
"His practice has happened against the red-ball": Manish Ojha on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's red-ball experience
Ahead of the Duleep Trophy 2026/2027 season, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s childhood coach Manish Ojha, while speaking with the Indian Express, has shared his insights on whether the batter will be able to adapt to red-ball cricket. Ojha revealed that the Southpaw started practicing with red-ball cricket, and white-ball cricket came much later. He believes that the flamboyant opener will adapt.
Ojha told The Indian Express, "From the time he started, much of his practice has happened against the red-ball. The white-ball came up much later. So I don’t see him not adapting to play red-ball cricket. But how quickly he adapts is the key. White-ball cricket is different," Ojha says.
"The biggest adjustment he has to make will be on the mental side,". "In white-ball cricket, he is hitting every ball. You can’t have a similar approach against the new ball. You have to wait for the right deliveries and minimise the risk."
"He has to learn": Manish Ojha on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi playing red-ball cricket
Manish Ojha believes that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi needs to shift his mindset as he needs to learn to anchor the innings and also bat in different gears and showcase the cricketing fraternity that he can play 300 balls, and this tournament is also a chance for him to gain red-ball cricket experience.
"He has to learn to ride the wave, bat in different gears and learn the art of constructing an innings. Show the world you can play 300 deliveries. This is the exposure he needs to gain from red ball cricket before we think of his next step."
Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi make Test debut for India soon?
Manish Ojha also revealed that he is just 15 years old and he needs to be patient and work on his red-ball skills to get into the India Test team, as it is not easy. As there is not much red-ball domestic cricket, he will only get a maximum of 10 matches each in tournaments like the Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy.
The Southpaw has not featured much in First-Class cricket, scoring 207 runs in 12 innings at an average of 17.25. In Youth Tests, he has two centuries against Australia Under-19.
Manish Ojha added, "He is only 15, so he needs time to develop. Making the India Test team won’t be easy. Nowadays you play a lot of T20s, but in Duleep and Ranji he might get only 7-10 matches a season."
"And in those matches, you have to consistently score centuries and double centuries to be in the reckoning. And it has to happen for two-three years consistently. It will be up and down. He needs patience and even the rest of the world."
