Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rise on and off the cricket field has been spectacular and fast too. The 15-year-old from Samastipur, Bihar has taken the cricketing world by storm and already tagged as a celebrity after his exploits in the IPL and the U-19 circuit.
After the IPL, the selctors may fast-track him to international cricket with maiden call-up for the T20I tour of Ireland with the senior team. The fame has earned him a few endorsements and commercials already that has got the fomer New Zealand pacer Simon Doull concerned. He cautioned the teen batting sensation to not let his guard down against the “sharks”.
“It is a word of caution. He already is a bit of a superstar. If things carry on, we all hope he will continue to be a superstar, an Indian superstar, in white-ball cricket in particular. It’s the people you surround yourself with. He would have had every management company looking for him and trying to find deals for him,” Doull said on Cricbuzz.
“Management companies and management people are there to look after you. Too many of them only think about looking out for themselves. How much can I make of this young man? How much can my company make of this young man? That’s the biggest issue I have with management companies worldwide,” he added.
Sooryavanshi has already hit two half-centuries in IPL 2026 and is carrying forward his strong form from last season. In IPL 2025, his maiden season, he made headlines by scoring the fastest century by an Indian in the tournament, reaching the milestone in just 35 balls against Gujarat Titans. This season too, he has made explosive start, with both his fifties coming at a rapid pace. However, he had his first setback on Monday when Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Praful Hinge dismissed him for a duck.
Doull also warned that the young opener needs to be careful about the people around him. He said Sooryavanshi should stay close to those who genuinely care for him and want to see him succeed. According to him, many management companies are more focused on their own interests rather than the players they represent.
“They all worry about what they can make, not how well I should be looking out for this young man? How much should I be looking out for his career? And not making him do much at this point. The longevity should be there. If you stop performing, they would go be chasing the next bloke because that’s what managers do,” said Doull.
“Just be careful who you surround yourself with. If he’s got a good family and upbringing, he would be okay. But just watch out for the sharks,” he added.
