New Delhi, May 29 (IANS) Rajasthan Royals (RR) and India’s young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi credited his father for shaping his team-first mentality, saying personal milestones hold little value if they do not contribute to victories for the side.

Speaking about prioritizing team success over individual achievements, Vaibhav said he values impactful contributions in winning causes more than personal records.

“Since childhood, my father has always told me that if you score a hundred, a double hundred, or even a triple hundred, but the team does not win because of it, then those runs hold no value. They may only be for your personal record, but they do not benefit the team,” he told Jio Hotstar.

The 15-year-old, who missed his well-deserved hundred by just three runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the eliminator, added that an 80-run innings in a winning cause is much bigger than a century.

“Cricket, in the end, is a team game. So, if I score 80 instead of a hundred and my team wins, and if we still do not win despite me scoring a century, then that 80 means more to me than the hundred,” he added.

The youngster further said that deeper progress in tournaments naturally creates more opportunities for personal success as well.

“The longer my team stays in the tournament and the deeper we go into the playoffs and finals, the more chances I will get to score hundreds and achieve whatever records I want to break. So, it benefits both me personally and the team as well,” he said.

Vaibhav also opened up on returning to practice just a day after India’s triumph at the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026, revealing the strong discipline instilled in him by his father from an early age.

“All this is because of my father. Since childhood, he has made me practise so much that if I do not practise even for a day, it feels like my life has slowed down a bit. So, I do not need to take a very long break; one day is enough,” he said.

The youngster explained that the quick return to training was also necessary because of the transition from one-day cricket to the IPL format.

“I felt I should practise because the IPL was approaching, and I was also coming back after playing one-day cricket. There was a change in format too, so I needed to work on certain aspects of my game,” he added.

Vaibhav further praised the Rajasthan Royals support staff for their role in helping players perform at their best and said any future title triumph would be dedicated to them and the franchise’s supporters.

“As far as the support staff is concerned, if we lift the trophy, and hopefully we do, I will dedicate it to them. The way every coach puts in effort behind each player, the way they plan the practice sessions, and how our physios and trainers take care of our recovery, all of it plays a huge role.

“So, if we win the trophy, it will be for them and for all the RR fans,” he concluded

Vaibhav has scored 680 runs in 15 innings for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 2026 IPL season. Boasting an explosive strike rate of 242.86, he is the current Orange Cap holder, the first player in IPL history to surpass 600 runs in a single season at a 200+ strike rate, and has smashed 65 sixes.

–IANS

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