Mohammad Kaif didn’t hold back when talking about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The kid’s a powerhouse with the bat, that’s obvious—but Kaif thinks he needs to clean up his fielding before dreaming about playing for India’s senior team. During Rajasthan Royals’ loss to Delhi Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Sooryavanshi fumbled in the field, gave up some important runs, and Rajasthan couldn’t defend their total of 193. Kaif said he’s all for scouts picking up talented players, but he hasn’t seen Sooryavanshi take a single catch yet. Sooryavanshi has to up his game on the field if he wants a shot at the national side.
One ball in particular stands out. Kaif pointed out that the catch wasn’t tricky—it came at a good height. Sure, flick shots can mess with a fielder’s vision, especially when the ball comes off the bat sideways. But this one, played by Sahil Parakh, should have been easy enough for Sooryavanshi. He got himself into position but then messed up the execution. No need to leap—he could’ve just taken it at waist level, but he fluffed it. Batting, honestly, isn’t a problem for him. Fielding? He’s not ready yet, Kaif said, speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Champions Waali Commentary.’
With the bat, Sooryavanshi looked electric during the power-play, smashing 46 off just 21 balls before Madhav Tiwari got him out with a slower delivery. Harbhajan Singh weighed in after, saying it’s tough to bowl to Sooryavanshi. If he was bowling, his only mission would be to get that wicket—but a lot would depend on Sooryavanshi’s form. Harbhajan said he’d focus on spinning the ball away from Sooryavanshi’s hitting zone. If Vaibhav steps out and tries to smash him, Harbhajan’s cool with that. What he doesn’t want is Sooryavanshi hammering shots while rooted in the crease.
The thing is, Sooryavanshi isn’t just good—he’s rare. At just 15, he’s sending every bowler into the stands for sixes. Harbhajan’s played with plenty of big names and has dismissed Chris Gayle more than once, but he says Sooryavanshi is something else entirely. The way his bat flows? Harbhajan admits he’s never seen it before.
