IPL 2026: 'Second year is going to be a bit tough for him' - Shikhar Dhawan's warning for Vaibhav Suryavanshi upcoming IPL season

Former India opening batter Shikhar Dhawan gave a crucial advice to India's rising star, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who became the youngest batter to score a century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this year. At 13 years old, the batter was roped in by Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 1.10 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, becoming the youngest player to find a team in the cash-rich league. During the IPL, he celebrated his 14th birthday and went on to score a 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans, a knock that made him an overnight sensation.

Dhawan praised Suryavanshi for his ability to dominate some of the most renowned bowlers in world cricket with elan. The former also credited the IPL for giving platform to youngsters in the country to showcase their talent in front of the world.

"How old is he, 13-14? (To play IPL) at the age of 14, is a very big thing. The way he was hitting the bowlers and standing in front of the big boys of world cricket at such a young age is remarkable. When I look at his confidence while hitting the big shots... it's amazing. Thanks to IPL, our kids can now dream of getting into a big team from the age of 5. Vaibhav manifested that dream. He is there. A big congratulations to him and his family. A very proud moment for all of us in cricket. A 14-year-old kid playing a big league like that and dominating is unthinkable," Dhawan told Hindustan Times.

Dhawan said that Suryavanshi's challenge will be to handle the fame, attention, and money. However, the former cricketer mentioned that he is in great hands at the Royals, having Rahul Dravid as the head coach, and Vikram Rathour as the batting coach.

"For him, the challenge is going to be how he is gonna handle the fame, the attention, and the money as well. A blessing that happened to him is that he was in great hands... Rahul Bhai, Vikram Paji (coaches of Rajasthan Royals). They are very, very good cricketers. They don't just believe in making good cricketers but good human beings as well. It's very important to be a good human being," he added.

How he takes care of his mental health will be very important: Dhawan

Dhawan reckons that opposition bowlers will come up with better plans against Suryavanshi in IPL 2026, and the youngster will have to prepare accordingly. The 39-year-old also stressed the importance of Suryavanshi keeping himself mentally fit for the rigours of the sport and managing his self-expectations to a nicety.

"I feel that the second year is gonna be a bit tough for him. Bowlers will know what his strength is. They are gonna plan better against him. He has to face those challenges and grow," said Dhawan.

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"How he takes care of his mental health will be very important going forward because expectations will rise. The self-expectation will rise as well. How he is gonna handle all that stuff is what I am looking forward to seeing," he added.

Suryavanshi has been in tremendous form for the India U-19 side, which is currently playing a five-match Youth ODI series in England. The left-handed batter is the leading run-getter in the series, scoring 322 runs from the first four games, averaging 80.50 and striking at 198.77.