India’s teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has shifted his attention to red-ball cricket ahead of the domestic season. The Rajasthan Royals youngster is currently undergoing an intensive preparation programme at the franchise’s High Performance Centre in Talegaon near Nagpur before the Duleep Trophy campaign.
The 15-year-old has been training at the facility since returning from India’s tour of Zimbabwe last month. The Bihar cricketer is working under RRโs assistant coach and former India batting coach Vikram Rathour. The camp is designed to prepare players for the demands of multi-day cricket, with Sooryavanshi among those expected to feature in the Duleep Trophy, which begins in Bengaluru on August 23.
Notably, Sooryavanshi has recently been named vice-captain of the East Zone side for the inter-zonal tournament. Other players attending the franchise’s ongoing 10-day pre-season camp include Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Shubham Dubey, Ravi Singh and Sushant Mishra.
Red-ball challenge for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The upcoming Duleep Trophy is going to be a significant test for Sooryavanshi, who has proved his mettle in white-ball cricket. Now, it needs to be seen if he can keep up the tempo in red-ball cricket too.ย
โThe 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,โ the franchise said in a statement.
Rathour said the training block before competitive cricket resumes offers players an opportunity to address different aspects of their game based on individual requirements.
โThe 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 thatโs 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,โ Rathour said.
Rajasthan Royals head of operations Romi Bhinder reflected that the facility reflects the franchise’s long-term approach to player development beyond the IPL.
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