Former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid has backed 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to develop into an all-format cricketer, urging patience from selectors and fans alike while emphasising the importance of sustained red-ball exposure for the teenage sensation. Dravid made the remarks at an event in Dublin to unveil the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).

Dravid's Case for Balance

Speaking to Cricinfo, Dravid — who coached Sooryavanshi at Rajasthan Royals during IPL 2025 — said the youngster's dual exposure to white-ball and red-ball cricket is precisely the kind of developmental arc the game needs. 'I think you always have to find that balance. 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,' Dravid said.

He connected Sooryavanshi's growth directly to the health of Test cricket. '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,' he added.

The Red-Ball Challenge Ahead

Sooryavanshi has featured in only eight first-class matches to date, averaging 17.25 — a modest return that underscores how much ground remains to be covered in the longer format. Dravid acknowledged the gap candidly. 'He's not played as much red-ball cricket as probably white-ball cricket,' he said, adding that the youngster 'is going to need some experience' and 'is going to get an opportunity to play a lot of red-ball cricket.'

Notably, Sooryavanshi is set to represent East Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, which could hand him at least two consecutive first-class outings — and a third should East Zone reach the final. Further red-ball opportunities may follow in September, when India A host Australia A in two unofficial Tests.

A Plea for Patience

Dravid was emphatic that the cricket ecosystem must resist the temptation to rush Sooryavanshi. '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's obviously been such a success straightaway, but he's going to go through his ups and downs, and I think people are going to have to be patient with him,' he said.

He also praised Sooryavanshi's decision to prioritise domestic red-ball cricket over chasing franchise T20 contracts globally. '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,' Dravid observed.

The All-Format Dream

Dravid expressed hope that Sooryavanshi's white-ball success could eventually translate to the Test arena. 'Hopefully, someday if he does well and performs well as he has in white-ball cricket, he might become a red-ball player for India. And how exciting that would be for the world game as well,' he said.

With the Duleep Trophy and India A fixtures on the horizon, the next few months will offer Sooryavanshi his most sustained red-ball examination yet — and a first real gauge of his Test credentials.