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Rajasthan Royals (RR) assistant coach Vikram Rathour described 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a "very special player" while downplaying concerns over a possible hamstring injury following their defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash on Saturday night.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Rathour said the team had already expressed its admiration for Sooryavanshi's talent and confirmed that the youngster appears to be in stable condition after treatment. He noted that while there were initial concerns of a hamstring issue, it does not seem serious at the moment, with a clearer assessment expected in the coming days. "Whatever we could say about Vaibhav, we have said. He's a very special player. It was looking like a bit of a hamstring issue, but right now, he is looking fine. They've treated him, so we'll know in a day or so if it's anything serious, but it's not looking like that for now," Rathour said. Reflecting on the loss, the former India batting coach pointed to missed chances in the field as a decisive factor. He admitted that dropped catches proved costly against a strong opposition, emphasising that such lapses cannot be afforded against quality teams and batters. "Catches dropped, you're right. That was the turning point. When you're playing against good teams, you can't afford to give them opportunities. We missed a couple, and that cost us the game," he added. On Riyan Parag's recent struggles with the bat in IPL 2026, Rathour expressed confidence in the young all-rounder, stating that there is no technical issue with his game. He highlighted Parag's strong work ethic in training and termed the lean patch a natural phase in cricket. "Nothing is going wrong with him. He's batting well in the nets and working hard. Sometimes you go through a phase where you're not scoring as many runs. That's part of the game. He'll come back strong, I'm sure," Rathour said. RR posted a strong total of 228/6, powered by a sensational 103 off 37 balls from Sooryavanshi and a 35-ball 51 from Jurel. Donovan Ferreira also added a quick cameo off 16-ball 33 late in the innings. In reply, SRH lost Travis Head early but recovered strongly as Ishan Kishan (74 off 31) and Abhishek Sharma (57 off 29) put on a 132-run stand, setting up the chase. Despite a few late wickets, Heinrich Klaasen (29) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (36) ensured the required rate stayed under control as SRH completed the chase comfortably in 18.3 overs. (ANI)
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