Sanju Samson, who recently played a key role in India’s win in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, recalled Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s conversation with Rahul Dravid before his debut in the Indian Premier League for Rajasthan Royals.

RR had roped in the young batter for INR 1.1 crore, and he became the youngest-ever debutant in the league when he played against the Lucknow Super Giants in 2025. The southpaw has been hogging the limelight since then, and his fearless batting was one of the reasons behind India’s success in the U-19 World Cup this year. In the final against the England Under-19 team, he scored 175 runs off 80 deliveries.

The fans came to know about his talent when he hit the first ball of his IPL career for a six. Shardul Thakur, who was a part of LSG, was struck for a maximum by the young batter on his debut.

The BCCI organised the Naman Awards on March 15 in New Delhi, and Suryavanshi shared the stage with Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya. He was asked about the memorable six, and Samson stepped in to give the complete details.

“I was in the meeting along with Rahul sir when he told me about his willingness to talk to Vaibhav. He wanted to explain to him how to go about it as he was young,” Samson said.

Dravid asked Vaibhav about his plans. “Rahul sir asked him about his plans, and Vaibhav said that he just wanted to play. Rahul sir asked again about his game plan,” Sanju added.

“Vaibhav said that he would hit the first ball in the air if it was in his zone, and that’s exactly what he did. He was playing like a video game,” Samson mentioned.

Suryavanshi later amassed 101 runs off 38 balls against the Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

The 14-year-old wants to win the IPL title for Rajasthan in the upcoming season.

“The goal is to win the trophy, and if it happens, it will benefit the franchise,” Vaibhav said. “I aim to contribute to the winning cause and lift the trophy,” he added.

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