Rajasthan Royals are having none of the talk about their 15-year-old, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, being used as an Impact Player. They see it as a no-nonsense way to put in a winning move, not some kind of indictment on his fielding. With IPL 2026 at a crossroads, RR will have you know it’s to make sure their star opener is at his best when it counts.
“It’s about optimisation,” says assistant coach Trevor Penney. He has no trouble with the kid’s fielding – he’s got good hands and can read the game. There’s no fitness angle to it either. We’ve just made the most of what gives us an edge with the bat.
Why the Impact Player makes sense for RR
Penney puts it down to having him open up and then be there for the second innings with nothing on him. Sure, they’ll put in a more seasoned pair of hands in the field now and then, but for the most part, it’s about an elite ability to hit hard when the heat is on.
Critics question the tactic; team doubles down
You can’t please everyone. Ex-India batters like Sanjay Manjrekar and Mohammed Kaif have had a word or two to say. Manjrekar feels you can hold back a player’s growth by not making him field. And Kaif has been on about the fact the boy hasn’t put down a catch in this whole season – which has been all over social media.
Inside the Royals’ dressing room
In the dressing room, we don’t see it that way, Penney says. He’s also quick to put to rest any talk about running between the wickets; he’s fine at it. Just look at the other day: he had 10 of 11 balls and knew when to hold back and guide a chase. That’s game sense.
Numbers that shape the debate
Then you have the stats to back it up. The 15-year-old has made a right mess of the opposition with 579 runs from 13 games. An average of 44.53 and a strike rate of 236.32, with a hundred and three fifties to his name. He’s been the one to tip the scales in powerplays for us.
That’s why we’re looking after him. He’s nipping at Chris Gayle’s heels for the sixes record in a season and only needs a couple to pass him. When you’re in the hunt for a title, you don’t let that go to waste.
So don’t read too much into the Impact Player decision, Penney is at pains to point out. It’s a strategy, and we think it’s worth it in the end. It has worked for us, plain and simple.
Put the tactics aside and you have a one-off: a schoolboy making waves and we are on top of it.
“From the way we put in an eye on him in the evenings to how we put together his practice, we’ve made sure there are some firm routines in place so he stays as he is – grounded and well-rested,” Penney said of the work done with the player and his support staff.
Then there’s the kid’s headspace, which is what you notice with this one. “He’s a likeable, self-assured sort who has his own world, puts in the hours and then has a good time out there when it counts,” Penney put it. In four decades in the game, he can’t recall a make-up like it. He’ll be watching to see if that carries over on Sunday at the Wankhede.
It will be a raucous occasion for the teenager’s first foray into the stadium, but RR have no doubt he can take it. They figure the setup around him will muffle the rest.
When you get down to it, the Impact rule is what lets us be a bit more fluid in how we pick our side and when we put our best foot forward, Penney explained.
In Sooryavanshi’s case, the calculus is simple:
– You want him with something left in the tank for the second innings.
– It lets you have a balanced XI with some old hands in the field.
– You get the most out of him in the powerplay and the death.
– And you don’t put on a 15-year-old any more than you have to.
Archer and the injury front
There has been some talk about Jofra Archer not being available for England’s opener with New Zealand from June 4 because of the IPL. Penney has seen the pieces written by the likes of Atherton and Vaughan, but in camp, Archer has hardly given it a thought.
“He’s going about his business and the commentary doesn’t seem to faze him,” the coach said. “You make a call to be here and that rubs the other side up the wrong way. If you miss an England match in the process, so be it.”
Where RR are at
As for the squad, he was in a better mood about Ravindra Jadeja and captain Riyan Parag. Both have been niggled with injuries – an elbow for the allrounder, hamstring and shoulder for the skipper – but after sitting out the last one they were in fine form. The plan is to have them in the nets and see how they go before the must-win with Mumbai Indians.
At the moment, RR aren’t saying sorry for a plan that gives their most hard-hitting batter the edge. With Sooryavanshi, you’re looking at a high ceiling and we’re making sure we don’t do anything to put a lid on that.
Come the Wankhede, the eyes will be on him. If we’ve done our job, he’ll come in with a clear head and turn the game his way. That’s the idea behind the whole Impact thing.”
