Zubin Bharucha hits back after Mohammad Kaif, Sanjay Manjrekar question Sooryavanshi India hype over fielding flaws

Former cricketers Mohammad Kaif and Sanjay Manjrekar outlined a glaring error in his IPL campaign to question the growing hype around the teenager.

Despite a sensational IPL 2026 season, where he has the most runs, the most sixes and the highest strike rate, which has all but intensified the chatter around when, and not if, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would make it to the senior Indian team. But former cricketers Mohammad Kaif and Sanjay Manjrekar outlined a glaring error in his IPL campaign to question the growing hype around the teenager.

Rajasthan Royals' Indian cricket player Vaibhav Sooryavanshi offers prayers by the pitch before the start of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 match (AFP)

Manjrekar, speaking to Sporstar, questioned the Rajasthan Royals' decision to play Vaibhav as an Impact Player in most of the recent games. He added that if the 15-year-old does have to prove his worth as an international-level player, he ought to show all three dimensions in order to fairly rate him. “Isn’t a cricketer somebody who bats well and fields well as well? Vaibhav Sooryavanshi... you want to see him on the field and also see what happens when he is put under pressure as well. If he’s a great batter but a slight liability on the field, I’d like to see that exploited,” he said.

Kaif, on the other hand, took notice of Sooryavanshi's fielding error in the match against the Delhi Capitals last week and cautioned him saying that he ought to improve his fielding skills if he wants to get into the Indian team. "It’s painful to watch the fielding in this IPL. Today Yash Raj dropped KL when he was on zero. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi too misfielded. The young boy hasn’t taken a catch this season," he wrote on his X. “While playing for India he needs to be sharper on the field. It is the duty of coaches to teach youngsters fielding skills. On their part, the boys should enjoy fielding and take pride in it."

Former RR director hits back

Speaking to Dainik Jagran, Zubin Bharucha, former Director of Cricket Operations for Rajasthan Royals, strongly defended the Rajasthan Royals prodigy, backing both his work ethic and long-term potential amid the criticism.

He said, "Vaibhav possesses rare qualities such as batting, fielding, the ability to read the game, and team spirit, which set him apart from other players. His fielding abilities are quite mature for his age.

"He has exceptionally safe hands and impressive field movement. He has everything he needs to improve his fielding skills. As his physical strength and fitness improve, he will become a faster, more agile, and more nimble player," he added.

Zubin, however, stressed that fielding is something every modern cricketer must keep improving. He added that Vaibhav is always willing to put in the hard work, eager to learn, and constantly looking to improve every part of his game.