Mullanpur, May 29, 2026 : Teenage cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has revealed that even a single day away from practice makes him feel as if “life has slowed down,” highlighting the extraordinary discipline and dedication that have powered his meteoric rise in Indian cricket.
The 15-year-old batting prodigy from Bihar’s Samastipur, who has become one of the biggest revelations of the ongoing IPL season, credited his father Sanjiv Sooryavanshi for instilling an unmatched work ethic in him from an early age.
“All this is because of my father. Since childhood, he has made me practise so much that if I do not practise even for a day, it feels like my life has slowed down a bit. So, I do not need to take a very long break; one day is enough,” Vaibhav said during an interaction with JioStar.
Vaibhav’s father reportedly travelled nearly five days a week from Samastipur to Patna to ensure the young cricketer received proper training and exposure, a sacrifice that now appears to be paying rich dividends.
The teenage star also disclosed that he had skipped his Class 10 board examinations to focus entirely on structured cricket preparation ahead of the IPL season.
“I felt I should practise because the IPL was approaching and I was also coming back after playing one-day cricket (U-19 World Cup). There was a change in format too, so I needed to work on certain aspects of my game,” he explained.
Despite his rapid rise and growing fame, Vaibhav continues to display maturity beyond his years — a quality that has drawn comparisons with legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
Recently, cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar expressed hope that the “childlike innocence” in Vaibhav remains intact despite the attention and expectations surrounding him.
Interestingly, the youngster still finds comfort in simple childhood pleasures and described cartoons as his favourite source of relaxation.
“When I used to stay at home two or three years ago and played matches or practised there, whenever I had free time at home, I used to watch cartoons, and I really enjoyed it,” he said.
“Even now, whenever I feel like I need some relaxation or peace, I watch cartoons. I sit comfortably in my room and watch whichever cartoons I like. It feels really nice and reminds me a lot of home,” Vaibhav added.
The young batter has emerged as one of the biggest newsmakers in Indian cricket, smashing 680 runs and a record 65 sixes in the current IPL season.
While his aggressive batting style differs from that of Sachin Tendulkar, cricket experts believe his composure, maturity and hunger for success mirror qualities seen in the Indian legend during his early years.
Vaibhav also credited his father for teaching him the importance of prioritising team success over individual milestones.
“Since childhood, my father has always told me that if you score a hundred, a double hundred, or even a triple hundred, but the team does not win because of it, then those runs hold no value,” he said.
“They may only be for your personal record, but they do not benefit the team. So, if I score 80 instead of a hundred and my team wins, and if we still do not win despite me scoring a century, then that 80 means more to me than the hundred,” he added.
The youngster further emphasised that collective success naturally creates greater opportunities for personal achievements.
“The longer my team stays in the tournament and the deeper we go into the playoffs and finals, the more chances I will get to score hundreds and achieve whatever records I want to break. So, it benefits both me personally and the team as well,” Vaibhav said.
With his fearless batting, disciplined mindset and grounded personality, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is rapidly emerging as one of the brightest young faces of Indian cricket.
