In an era where cricketing dreams are often packaged into 30-second reels, Samar Quadri’s assessment is blunt: “We don’t look at Instagram. We see players on the field.” Quadri, a former Indian cricketer who played for Bihar, Jharkhand, and East Zone, and has been a part of the Rajasthan Royals eco-system in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a scout for the past three years, was the first one to check on the 12-year-old prodigy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, now 15, who has taken IPL 2026 by storm. Qadri revealed that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise was the result of multiple trusted eyes converging on the same talent.
How was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Spotted?
Zubin Bharucha had already noticed him at the U-19 level, while VVS Laxman flagged him to Rahul Dravid. “I got a call to confirm what they had seen, how he was, what his game looked like,” Qadri told Sports Now in an exclusive interview. “After that, I reached out to him personally and called him for the trials.” Qadri’s line on Instagram reels, perhaps more than anything else, defines the journey of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi — a prodigy discovered not through viral clips, but through raw, unfiltered performance.
When the 36-year-old first spotted the chubby-faced Royals youngster in Patna, who had barely entered early adolescence, he had already built his reputation for scoring heavily. But reputation alone doesn’t earn an IPL call. Moments do. And Sooryavanshi delivered one at the Rajasthan Royals trials, launching three consecutive sixes off his first three balls. “Everyone was shocked,” Qadri recalls while speaking to Sports Now. That was enough to turn attention into opportunity.
Zubin Bharucha asked me about him, and I told him he was very talented because I bowled against him. And I guess we met for the first time in 2010, and from there we got to know each other. So in the trials, I guess, everyone was shocked, and he got picked.
“You see him right now, he’s taller. When he went to the trials, he was shorter. He grew like anything in the recent past. So everyone was like, ‘Oh, the bat swing was amazing,'” he remembered.
Sequence of events:
| stage 🛤️ | What happened? |
| Early Spotting | Samar Qadri saw Vaibhav as a 12-year-old in Patna, already scoring heavily |
| Wider Recognition | Strong performances at junior level caught attention in U-19 circuit |
| Elite Validation | Zubin Bharucha flagged him internally |
| National Endorsement | VVS Laxman recommended him to Rahul Dravid |
| Final Check | Samar Quadri was consulted to validate his ability and temperament |
| Breakthrough Moment | At trials, Vaibhav hit three consecutive sixes off his first three balls |
| Selection | Rajasthan Royals picked him based on potential + impact |
IPL Scouts Don’t Watch Instagram
Talking about the biggest misconception that fans have when they see a young player picked in the IPL, the former leg-spinner said, “A lot of people put videos and all on Instagram, and they want to showcase their talent on Instagram and all. So we only see them when they play on the field. That’s it. We go and watch a lot of local leagues. Not scout on Instagram. Show that talent on the field, not on Instagram. That’s the one misconception people have. Every scout is on Instagram, watching us.
What set him apart, however, wasn’t just power. It was his range of shots. The ability to hit big, rotate strike, and “play maturely at that level” marked him as someone “way ahead of his peers.”
“His long array of shots. He can play everywhere in the field. He can maneuver the ball like anything. He can take singles. What we can’t see in IPL right now, but he can take singles like that only. He can hit sixes. He can take singles. He can play maturely at that level. He is definitely the future potential. He is way ahead of his peers, way ahead,” he revealed when asked about what sets Sooryavanshi apart from the rest.
What Made Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Stand Out
| Attributes: | Scout’s Insight |
| Shot Range | Can play all around the ground with ease |
| Temperature | Shows maturity beyond his age |
| Game Awareness | Capable of rotating strike and building innings |
| power | Ability to clear boundaries effortlessly |
| Potential | “Way ahead of his peers” — long-term prospect |
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Only Weakness
While the 15-year-old has already scored 200 runs for the Rajasthan Royals in this edition of IPL 2026, at a strike rate of 263.16 in 5 matches, nothing more spectacular than hitting Jasprit Bumrah for two sixes in a span of three balls, Qadri was quick to remind everyone that the youngster still needs to work on his fitness and fielding.
“Fielding and fitness. That’s our main concern. And we’re doing that, and he’s willing to do that. So, that’s a good sign for a good player. The problem stems from the fact that he likes to eat, just like any 15-year-old. Sweets, tea, mutton, chicken, he doesn’t miss anything. So, we want him to be a bit disciplined right now,” he said with a smile, almost bringing to mind that at the highest level, habits matter as much as ability.
For Sooryavanshi to reach his full potential, Quadri reckons a good environment is equally important, adding that he sees him as a prospect who can serve Indian cricket for the next 20 years.
Sooryavanshi Can Serve Indian Cricket For 20 Years
“If we give him a good environment, he will succeed. And if we don’t give him a good sense of himself, he will feel pressured and eventually fail. I want him to play for India for a long time. I think he will get 20 years minimum for India,” he added.
The IPL, as Quadri outlines, is not a system driven by perception, but by persistent observation. Scouts travel, watch local leagues, speak to coaches, and evaluate players beyond numbers. Social media, for all its noise, plays a little role in that process, which is simple. Fill out a Google form and highlight the areas that deserve a mention.
At Rajasthan Royals, scouting itself is a structured, data-driven process with detailed forms, evaluations, and role-based assessments. But even within this system, intuition plays its part.
“Every IPL team is different. At RR, we have Google Forms, and I’ve seen RCBs; they have a lot of questions. Like 100 and 120 questions. So they have a different form. The Google form typically has different aspects that highlight a player’s specialization, such as a batter, a bowler, and an all-rounder. What are their strengths and weaknesses? Are they good for this year’s IPL or for the future? If they’re a bowler, so it’s a net bowler or a bowler for the franchisee,” he revealed.
Because sometimes, all it takes is three balls and a scout willing to believe. And for Sooryavanshi, after having done the hard work of getting picked, the road ahead remains crystal clear. Talent has opened the door. Discipline will determine how long he stays inside.
