Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shifts focus to red-ball cricket ahead of Duleep Trophy

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, has turned his attention to red-ball cricket since returning from India's tour of Zimbabwe last month. The teenager is currently at the Rajasthan Royals Academy in Talegaon, near Nagpur, working under RR assistant coach Vikram Rathour, who previously served as India's batting coach.

Sooryavanshi won the Player of the Series award on the Zimbabwe tour and had earlier made his international debut against England in August 2026, becoming the youngest Indian to represent the country in international cricket. He also topped the IPL 2026 batting charts. Despite being widely seen as a white-ball specialist, Sooryavanshi has publicly pushed back against that label, and his current training block reflects that intent.

The Rajasthan Royals are running a 10-day camp at the Talegaon centre. The facility is equipped with soil-specific practice wickets built to match domestic conditions and dedicated infrastructure for red-ball preparation. Sooryavanshi is joined at the camp by Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Ravi Singh and Sushant Mishra.

Sooryavanshi's white-ball potential tops Tendulkar: Uthappa

Also Read

Sooryavanshi's white-ball potential tops Tendulkar: Uthappa

What is the objective of the Rajasthan Royals pre-season camp?

The 10-day camp is structured to ready players across several areas before the domestic season gets under way. Each participant follows an individually tailored programme covering technical work, physical conditioning and recovery. The centre also set out its broader ambition for the facility.

"The camp combines technical skill development, strength and conditioning, workload management, recovery and performance analysis through individually tailored training programmes. The objective is to ensure players return to competitive cricket physically prepared, technically refined and ready for the demands of the domestic season," the franchise said as quoted by Cricbuzz.

"The High Performance Centre was established with a long-term vision of creating a world-class environment where our players can develop throughout the year. Our focus is on the overall cricketing development of every player, which extends far beyond the IPL season in April and May," said the franchise's head of operations Romi Bhinder said.

Purpose-built to support cricketers year-round, the facility features multiple soil-specific practice wickets that replicate a range of domestic playing conditions, along with dedicated red-ball training facilities designed to enhance long-format preparation.

"The period before the season begins is one of the most valuable opportunities for players to invest in their game. Every player arrives with different objectives, whether that’s refining technical skills, building physical conditioning or preparing for the demands of the domestic season. The High Performance Centre allows us to create individualised programmes while training together as a squad, ensuring every player is best prepared for the challenges ahead," said Rathour.

Robin Uthappa cautions Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on pitfalls

Also Read

Robin Uthappa cautions Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on pitfalls

What is Sooryavanshi's role in Duleep Trophy 2026?

Sooryavanshi has been named vice-captain of the East Zone squad for Duleep Trophy 2026, with Ishan Kishan appointed captain. The squad was announced on July 29, 2026. Deshpande, his camp-mate at Talegaon, will represent West Zone in the same tournament. The Duleep Trophy 2026 gets under way in Bengaluru on August 23, 2026.