Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become one of the most well-recognised cricketers on the planet, tearing up the Indian Premier League in his early teenage years and showing the kind of power and run-scoring ability that feels simply mind-blowing. Sooryavanshi’s rise to the top will certainly have some trickle down effects – greater belief in players at a young age, who now have his example to live up to, but maybe some unintended extra pressure as well.
A video is making the rounds on social media of a young boy, presumably around 10 or 11 years old, being padded up and provided protective gear at some cricket nets by an older man, likely his father or at least a coach. The video is notable for how the boy began resisting as he was taken towards the nets to face some older, bigger bowlers.
The boy can be heard saying “No, I won’t play,” as well as “I’ll get hurt,” but nonetheless being dragged by his arm into the nets to face off against the bowling. No further clips were presented of the kid, or how he fared against the bowling, but the internet was split in response.
The unintended Sooryavanshi effect
While one argument being presented was that the father or the coach shouldn’t have rushed the boy at such a young age to face up against older bowlers, especially with a realistic chance of being hurt despite the additional padding, and even moreso since the kid was visibly shaken and scared at the prospect of the activity.
Another half argued that the child would need to put on a braver face and be ready to face what came at him, with the father/coach placing him in an environment that would only be beneficial for his growth as a player in that moment – even citing that Sooryavanshi wouldn’t reach the level he is at without a certain fearlessness and nonchalance, despite playing against some of the quicket bowlers in world cricket.
Where one comes down on the debate depends on their own ethics when it comes to training and raising a player, and about how much might be too much. But in 2026, in the era of Sooryavanshi’s rise to the top, it certainly is pretty shocking how a 15-year-old boy is managing to change the landscape for how players are being trained and expected to perform early in their careers.