Long before Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became a nightmare for bowlers with his explosive bat speed and powerful strokeplay, he was simply a talented young cricketer attending Rajasthan Royals trials with raw potential and a sharp cricketing mind.
Back then, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi did not have the exaggerated back-lift or lightning-fast bat swing that fans now associate with him. But according to batting mentor Zubin Bharucha, the youngster already showed rare qualities that reminded him of a teenage Sachin Tendulkar.
Zubin Bharucha, who worked closely with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during his development with Rajasthan Royals, explained that one of the batter’s biggest strengths is his ability to evolve with the game. He said that the version of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi people see today is very different from the eight-year-old who first entered the system.
The former Mumbai batter revealed that during the trials, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi did not even possess the fastest bat speed among the players present. However, the coaching staff identified this area as important and worked intensely on it for nearly three months before the IPL 2025. According to Zubin Bharucha, the focused training helped increase his bat speed by around 30 percent.
That improvement eventually became one of the defining features of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s batting. Today, he relies heavily on quick hands, a high back-lift and minimal footwork to dominate bowlers. Zubin Bharucha explained that although his movements may appear simple, there is a subtle backfoot trigger that allows him to use the crease effectively and react later to deliveries.
The batting expert also highlighted Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s ability to delay his decision-making while facing the ball. He described it as a rare quality seen in elite batters, where players seem to gain an extra fraction of time before committing to a shot. According to Zubin Bharucha, such instincts are extremely difficult to teach because they depend on vision, balance, timing and natural awareness.
Another major change in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s game has been the expansion of his scoring areas. During 2025, most of his runs came on the leg side. Over the past year, however, he has developed several off-side scoring options, making him a far more complete batter.
Interestingly, Zubin Bharucha said that the youngster’s training methods between IPL seasons have not changed significantly. He has continued practicing with roughly the same volume of balls over the last few years. The biggest transformation, according to the coach, has been mental rather than technical.
Zubin Bharucha believes the main difference between the Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of 2025 and the player seen in the IPL 2026 is confidence. Earlier, the youngster believed he could dominate Under-19 bowlers. Now, he feels the same aggressive methods and instincts can succeed against international bowlers too.
The mentor concluded by saying that talent may determine a player’s potential but belief is what truly helps them reach the highest level.
