The reason young Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is being used mainly as an “Impact Player” in IPL 2026 is largely about managing his workload and protecting him during fielding phases, according to Rajasthan Royals’ coaching staff.
As reported by The Times of India, RR coach and support staff explained that the 15-year-old’s primary role right now is to maximize his explosive batting impact. They feel this strategy allows the team to fully utilize his aggressive powerplay batting without putting extra physical pressure on such a young player.
The coach also clarified that it is not because he is a poor fielder. In fact, former RR officials defended his fielding ability and described him as having “safe hands.”
This season, Vaibhav has become one of the biggest sensations in the IPL with fearless batting, huge strike rates, and multiple match-winning knocks for Rajasthan Royals. Because of that, RR are prioritizing his batting contribution while gradually developing the rest of his game.
The reports also mention that Vaibhav himself wants to contribute more fully and is not entirely happy being limited to the Impact Player role, since he wants more involvement in matches overall