India, April 8 -- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a shy 15-year-old, soft-spoken, brief in his answers, with a sheepish smile. But it is his sheer fortitude that has already earned him a reputation in world cricket. Rahul Dravid and Sanju Samson had seen a glimpse of it on the eve of his IPL debut last season. Jasprit Bumrah experienced it first-hand on Tuesday night in Guwahati.

Although it happened a year ago, Samson recently recalled a conversation during the BCCI annual awards that left both him and Dravid stunned.

It was ahead of Rajasthan Royals' clash against Lucknow Super Giants last season, when Sooryavanshi, signed for INR 1.1 crore at the December 2024 mega auction, was set to make his IPL debut. On the eve of the match, Dravid, then...