IPL 2026: Rajasthan Royals are relying heavily on their young, talented players for a successful campaign in the upcoming season. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is at the top of the list. One of the coaching staff, performance coach Siddhartha Lahiri, has helped the team groom their youngsters. He also manages their academies worldwide.
Talking about Sooryavanshi's growth, Lahiri told The Times of India, "He has immense calibre. He's a 14-year-old with exceptional potential. At this stage, he lives and breathes cricket and loves to bat. From a cricketing perspective, we hope he achieves things that seem unreal to watch."
The coach also highlighted that they didn't just nurture players but also the coaches themselves. Their academies had already produced international players such as Ollie Pope, Shoaib Bashir, and Phil Salt. They also produced star Indian players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel.
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Sanju Samson's departure from Rajasthan Royals is a significant loss, and Lahiri acknowledged that the team will feel the impact of his absence. "He is one of the best white-ball cricketers and a player of immense calibre. Of course, he will be missed. I've been privileged to see him play some amazing innings for us. People are talking about his recent World Cup success, but at Royals, we've come to expect such performances. Samson and the management mutually agreed to part ways, and I wish him every success in his future endeavors."
Speaking of Parag's captaincy skills, Lahiri backed Parag despite their mixed IPL 2025 campaign. "He is outstanding. He had led his domestic side. He played cricket in Assam, which means he knows what it's like to be an underdog. He is extremely well respected within the Royals and shares a great rapport with head coach Kumar Sangakkara and the team. I believe Parag has the quality to become an astute leader," he added.
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Lahiri also talked about Parag's growth in the white-ball format. "If not for a minor shoulder injury, he could well have been part of the T20 World Cup squad. He is an unbelievable white-ball player. With the fearless brand of cricket India is playing, he fits right in," he concluded.