Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals (PTI Photo) U-19 World Cup sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who first hit the headlines at the age of 14, is now focusing on the Indian Premier League as he aims to ensure a title-winning season for Rajasthan Royals.Sooryavanshi left fans in awe during IPL 2025 as the youngest centurion in the tournament and propelled India to their sixth U-19 World Cup in Harare earlier this year with an incredible 175 off 80 balls in the final against England.On the sidelines of the BCCI Naman Awards, the young batsman said his priority is clear: “The aim of this IPL season is to win a trophy for the team because it’s a very important thing. I want to do well and my performance will help the whole team. That’s my aim — to contribute to RR’s wins and win the trophy for the franchise.”Sooryavanshi also expressed his delight at reuniting with his U-19 teammates during the awards ceremony. “It’s a really nice feeling. I also won the trophy for India in the World Cup. Because of this award ceremony, I’m happy to meet my teammates and coaches here again,” he said.The Bihar-born youngster made history as the youngest IPL signing when Rajasthan Royals secured him in 2024, aged just 13, for Rs 1.1 crore. Recalling those early days, Sooryavanshi said, “When I made my domestic debut, RR kept an eye on me during my domestic and under-19 matches. Their scouting team had been keeping an eye on me for a long time. I felt I could go to RR as my trial with them went very well. I am happy to be with RR as I have improved a lot in life with them.”He also appreciated learning from the team’s seniors and the legendary Rahul Dravid during his initial IPL experience. “For any youngster, the first IPL camp is always interesting and it was the same for me. Rahul (Dravid) sir was there at that time, so I learned a lot from him. There were a lot of senior players in the team and I got good experience from them during the first camp as well as the first IPL,” he said.With the IPL 2026 season approaching, all eyes will be on Sooryavanshi as he looks to parlay his prodigious talent into franchise glory.
