‘Watch out for the sharks’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets stark warning after golden duck
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is making waves in IPL 2026 with explosive batting. Former pacer Simon Doull warns the young star about management companies prioritizing profit over his long-term career. Doull advises Sooryavanshi to be cautious of external influences and surround himself with people who genuinely care about his development and longevity.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s meteoric rise in the Indian Premier League 2026 season has turned him into one of the most talked-about young cricketers in the country. The 15-year-old from Samastipur, Bihar, has been in sensational form, and his growing stardom has also brought increased attention off the field. However, amid the hype and endorsement deals, former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull has issued a timely warning.
Sooryavanshi first grabbed widespread attention with his explosive knock in the Under-19 World Cup final against England. Since then, his profile has only grown, with multiple endorsements coming his way. While his success has been celebrated, Doull expressed concern about the kind of people surrounding the young batter at such a crucial stage of his career.
“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. Doull stressed that those managing Sooryavanshi must prioritise his long-term growth rather than financial gains.