Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can give Test cricket an exciting future: Rahul Dravid

Sooryavanshi is set to feature for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy, giving him an important opportunity to build continuity in the longer format after making a huge impact in white-ball cricket. Sooryavanshi has played only eight first-class matches and averages 17.25, with his.

The Duleep Trophy offers him exactly that opportunity. More red-ball cricket could follow when India A face Australia A in two unofficial Tests in September.

What Happened

For Dravid, that exposure is more important than rushing the teenager into an endless cycle of T20 competitions. The shift from T20 cricket to the longer format will demand a different kind of adjustment.

• Dravid, who coached him at Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, believes that balance could ultimately determine whether the teenager develops into an all-format cricketer.

• An India Test career remains a distant possibility rather than an immediate expectation, but the foundation is being laid in the domestic game.

• For now, Sooryavanshi's immediate task is to make the most of the Duleep Trophy and gain the experience that Dravid believes he needs.

Key Details

Sooryavanshi has already shown that he can dominate attacks with aggressive strokeplay, but first-class cricket will test his ability to build an innings, absorb pressure and maintain concentration over much longer periods. For Dravid, the significance of Sooryavanshi's red-ball development goes beyond.

• "But let's all remember he's only 15 and he has a long way to go."

• The former India captain accepts that there will be difficult periods along the way.

• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, by not playing in T20 competitions all over the world, is actually playing in the red-ball Indian domestic competition.

Why It Matters

That is why Dravid sees Sooryavanshi's decision to spend time in India's domestic red-ball system as a positive development.

• Test cricket continues to compete with the global T20 landscape for players' time, making the development of young cricketers capable of committing to all three formats increasingly important.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by India Today as more details emerge