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Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar recently termed Rajasthan Royals teenage player Vaibhav Suryavanshi a liability on the field and explained how it affected his game.
Manjrekar criticized the way Rajasthan were using Suryavanshi mostly as an impact player. He said that this did not allow the 15-year-old left-hander to grow the way he ideally should.
For all his bravery with the bat, Suryavanshi rarely took to the field.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi in IPL 2026
Currently, Suryavanshi is joint fifth in the Orange Cap rankings in IPL 2026. With 440 runs in 11 matches, he is one of the top contenders to get a cap by the end of the season.
In this year’s IPL, Suryavanshi’s batting average is 40 and strike rate is 236.55. He also has 2 half-centuries and one century in his name. His half-century came in just 15 balls, while his century came in just 36 balls.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi also leads the list of sixes in the tournament with 40 sixes.
“For this reason the Impact Player rule should be reconsidered” – Sanjay Manjrekar
Speaking on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast, Manjrekar said cricketers need to develop both their batting and fielding skills. He said that the Impact Player rule is preventing Vaibhav Suryavanshi from becoming a better fielder.
Manjrekar said, “I continue to feel that the impact player rule should also be reconsidered for this reason. Is this all we want to see from Vaibhav Suryavanshi, just one side of his game? A cricketer is someone who bats well and fields well as well.”
He compared the situation to that of players from previous generations, who were evaluated for both their batting and fielding.
He said, “We respected players like Inzamam-ul-Haq for his batting, but we also looked at his fielding and other aspects of the game. This helped in assessing a player properly. Right now, someone can come, face a few balls, show his hitting ability and then disappear without showing the other side of his cricket.”
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“Youth need to be kept under pressure” – Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar further clarified that he feels that young emerging players need to be put under more pressure on the field. He said they need to be tested, especially in the context of the heat when they drop catches. In this discussion, he called Vaibhav Suryavanshi a burden on the field.
“We’re not expecting to see all 3 dimensions of a player. But the more I think about it, it all makes sense, and you’re right, Suryavanshi, you want to see him on the field and see what happens and also put pressure on him. If he’s a great batsman, but a little bit of a liability on the field, I’d like to see him take advantage.”
He added, “It’s also something we’ve experienced as fielders when we drop a catch with the tension that comes with batting and being cold. You don’t want that to be that easy at one of the highest levels of the game.”
Manjrekar concluded by saying that Rajasthan Royals were unknowingly hindering Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s ability to become a better fielder.