Sanjay Manjrekar says Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shouldn’t be ‘just batting and chilling’ in IPL

Fans and experts have their minds divided on the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Impact Player. Some believe that rule is not appropriate for the growth of the game, as batting teams are using it to their benefit which takes all advantage from the bowling side.

Big claim from Sanjay Manjrekar

Now former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has delivered an unique opinion on the Impact Player rule, citing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's example, who has been used by Rajasthan Royals (RR) as an Impact sub majorly in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.

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In an interaction with Sportstar, Manjrekar believes that the rule has had a negative effect on the growth of the 15-year-old batter, as it restricted him to showcase all aspects of his game.

As per Manjrekar's notion, because of the Impact Player rule, Vaibhav has not able to spend time on the field as a fielder, which is not good for his growth in cricket.

“I’m increasingly thinking that we have to do away with Impact Sub for this reason as well. Is that what you want to see from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – just one side of his game? Isn’t a cricketer someone who bats well and fields well too," said Manjrekar.

While talking about the importance of field, Manjrekar said that he wants to see Vaibhav's fielding abilities as well. Manjrekar noted that it is important for everyone to experience the tension which comes with fielding.

"If he is a great batter, but a slight liability on the field, I’d like to see that exploited. That also is something we have experienced as fielders when we drop a catch and the tension that comes with it. Just batting and chilling – you don’t want one of the highest sort of levels of the sport to be that easy," added Manjrekar.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's impact in IPL 2026

The 15-year-old opener is going through a strong campaign for RR in the ongoing IPL 2026. The left-handed opener has scored 440 runs in just 11 innings at an average of 40.00 with a strike rate of 236.55. Vaibhav has hit one century and two half-centuries in IPL 2026, with his highest score of 103 came against SRH on just 37 balls.

Big feat for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in IPL 2026

The 15-year-old batter became the first batter to hit 30 sixes inside the powerplay in an IPL season. Earlier the record belonged to Abhishek Sharma, who managed to hit 29 sixes for SRH in the powerplay overs of the 2024 season. However, The star India opener stands at 27 sixes in the powerplay in the ongoing edition.