Former India fielder Mohammad Kaif has publicly challenged Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to improve his work in the field, saying the teenager must become far sharper if he wants to play for India.
Kaif, who built his reputation on outstanding fielding as a player, singled out two moments from Rajasthan Royals’ game against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, May 17. Sooryavanshi misfielded at deep fine leg, and Yash Raj Punia put down a chance when KL Rahul had not yet scored.
The match and the criticism
Delhi chased down a target of 194 with five wickets and four balls in hand. The result made Rajasthan’s already tough route to the playoffs harder still.
Writing on X, Kaif said the quality of fielding he was seeing in the IPL was painful to watch. He urged young players to take more responsibility, and argued that coaching staff should treat fielding as a priority while the players themselves should take pride in it.
Batting form remains a highlight
Sooryavanshi’s batting in the same game gave Rajasthan plenty to cheer. He hit 46 off 21 balls, including five sixes and three fours, continuing to show the strokeplay that has made him one of the season’s talking points.
After the IPL, he is expected to turn out for India A in a tri-series that also features Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A. Kaif’s comments suggest that, alongside his run-scoring, his fielding is likely to come under closer scrutiny as he moves towards the senior international level.
