Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who won the Orange Cap for the most runs, the Emerging Player award, and the Most Valuable Player award in the recently concluded IPL 2026 tournament, revealed that he has been practicing a lot with the red ball.
Sooryavanshi was present in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium for the IPL 2026 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Gujarat Titans (GT). Sooryavanshi had hammered 776 runs in 16 games in IPL 2026, with one century and five fifties and a strike rate of 237.31.
The IPL 2026 breakout star was Sooryavanshi. The left-hander demonstrated maturity under pressure and effortlessly destroyed some of the top bowlers in the world. He will now be seen in action for India A, as he has been chosen for the squad that will play the tri-series in Sri Lanka, also involving the Afghanistan A side.
Speaking to the broadcaster after the final, in which the Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated the Gujarat Titans, former India spinner R. Ashwin joked that Sooryavanshi had missed out on one batting award—the award for hitting the most fours in the season—and asked if he had any plans to keep the ball on the ground.
Sooryavanshi answered by stating that fans would soon see a different side of his batting in the next India assignment, before disclosing that he has also been doing major practice with the red ball. While Sooryavanshi would not reveal the specifics of his practice, he hinted at interesting developments ahead.
"Yes, I will have to play on the ground because the next assignment is in a one-day format. I have practiced a lot with a red ball, but no one has seen me do that, but they will soon,” Sooryavanshi told official broadcasters.
When Harbhajan Singh questioned Sooryavanshi further about his aspirations to play Test cricket, he explained that although he has gained recognition for his six-hitting prowess, it is not the only facet of his game.
"People think I love to hit every ball, but this is the T20 format, and coaches give me a free hand to go all guns blazing. And I hit the ball only because I know I can hit it, and it isn't out of compulsion.
I want to play Test cricket, obviously, because my father also taught me that it is the ultimate format, and I have played it as well. I'm yet to play many games, though. I played Ranji Trophy cricket but did not get too many opportunities, and it was challenging for me. But I am going to keep working on that aspect of my game," he said.
Since making his Bihar debut in January 2024, Sooryavanshi has played only eight first-class matches. In 12 innings, he has 207 runs, including one half-century. He has also demonstrated promise at the junior level, most notably scoring a 58-ball century for India U-19 against Australia last year.
