Test Match Special - Strategic Timeout: Sooryavanshi Continues to Stun the IPL

Episode Date: April 24, 2026

Indian prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues his meteorological rise in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals. The batter, who has only just turned 15 stars with the bat yet again for his side, has made two 50+ scores this tournament - but how does he do it? Former England all-rounder Samit Patel and Traitors finalist Faraaz Noor join Amber Sandhu to discuss all the latest headlines from the Indian Premier League. Plus, Patel discusses his time in an England shirt and tells us what his only regret was when playing international cricket.

You can keep up with all things IPL by watching Strategic Timeout in full on the BBC Sport YouTube channel and BBC IPlayer. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Well, it's been a while. Welcome back to Strategic Time Out, the show where we chat all things IPL 2026. From the shots to the stories. Every week we're joined by a couple of guests to unpick all of the action. And I'm so pleased to say this week I'm joined by Form. England All Rounder and somebody who knows the franchise world very well, Sammit Patel and of course Traitors Legend who by the way has got a new wardrobe for us. I had to change it up didn't and my dad was giving me some stick for hudies so I thought

I'll come in looking a bit more professional. We're so used to seeing you in a hoodie. I know. I do like the quartership. I said you just come back from your corporate job. Oh, he can't be doing that. I'm feeling quite casually. I've got the bag of jeans on as well. Do you know what I mean? No, seriously it's great to see you both. We've had a couple of weeks off. A lot has happened. So tell me what have we, like the look of. We're very much into the tournament now, a good few weeks in. Samit, what have you enjoyed? Well, that young, young boy,

14 year old, not 14 anymore, but Vébe, Suravanchi, what a player. We've seen him grow from last year, even better now. We had a great under 19 World Cup. That match winning knock in the final. And he just kicked on ice in the start of the

IPL and to get 100 and come out and play bummerer the way he did. It's been fantastic. The numbers are ridiculous. 246 runs in six innings and he's 15 years old. The 78 off 26 balls against RCB as well. Unreal. Yeah, it's

unbelievable. I think to be that age, I can't think when I was 15, I couldn't hit the ball from the 30 yard circle and he's clearing bummer and all sorts. It's ridiculous and just like the way he plays the confidence of fearlessness. To be honest, I think India should be having him in the squad

in the T20 squad very soon. I was going to say future India talent. Absolutely. I'd be surprised that they didn't add him around the squad in short format cricket, T20 and 50 overs. I'm not sure you're starting a 50 over team, but to get him in and around, get him feeling his way of international cricket,

I think it was a great idea. Yeah, because he's clearly got that fearlessness and he sort of knows his way around, especially playing with big players in the IPL anyway, you can tell he backs himself as he should. So I think he'll just fit in straight away. It's quite scary because he's not even in his prime. It's really scary.

When's his prime 17? Yeah. It can only get worse for me, aren't it? Yeah, no. How else have we liked the look-off? Because it's very much been a batting game, and we'll get on to that. But we were talking about Abyshek off-air, weren't we?

No, Abysheek is one player that stands out for me, and Sandra Sampson, that India pair, fireworks. They don't hold back. It's all action, to be honest. And it's great to see. It's great indissainment. Wickets are good, bats are good. Bowlers not so good.

Okay, so let's talk. bowling. See, going on the bowlers, I think like you've got Joffar Archer. Joffar Archer hasn't been doing not too shabby, I think, taking fair few wicketsons, first deliveries and stuff. That raw pace is decent, but T20, especially the IPLA, is a batsman's game in it 100%.

So I think it is harder for bowlers to sort of maintain that. It is, but there's also got to be a little bit of skill work going on towards a bowlers, and I'm sure they do, but for me, they've kind of accepted that Tending over on flat pitches, small boundaries, is kind of acceptable.

Now, I'm pretty old school, so I'm going to say it's not acceptable. We're trying, being brought up at Trent Bridge, I'd probably accept to go at 7 and 8s. But I wouldn't say 10s, because if you accept 10s, then you're going to go at more. So it just depends on where you're going to set the bar. And I reckon setting the bar lower and to time to time you will disappear, but just have a little bit more self-pride. It feels like, though, if you're not getting 180, 200, you're not in the game. And the thing is, teams are just chasing that down with such ease. Yeah, 100%.

And do you not think, like, obviously, from when you were playing back in the head, it's changed a bit like T20 cricket sort of to now. Do you not think it is a bit harder for ballers to sort of keep to that 7-8 range? Absolutely. But also, what I have seen is for start, the middle and now, this bit, it's difficult for bowlers. I definitely give that. And the boundaries are so small in India.

And don't forget, you've got the whole world that are playing. and you've got the best, the best, playing, and you get four overseas, and then you get seven Indians that are locals. And the standard is fantastic. So, yeah, it's getting tougher for ballers, for sure. Somebody we spoke about in our first episode was Cameron Green, because there was a hefty price tag attached to him,

but that doesn't seem to be adding up at the moment. He's not really having the tournament that he probably imagined. He's not. I presume he's feeling the pinch with the price tag and expectation from KKR, having been successful, going for her likes of Cameron Green to balance the team with ball and bat, it's not kind of worked.

But, you know, cricket doesn't always want to go the way you want it to go, and that kind of can happen. Yeah, 100%. I think it is sort of, when you're an all-rounder, you have sort of got... It's sort of a cursed chalice sort of thing because you can do both, but then if you're not performing one,

you have to do it with the other sort of thing. thing. But I feel as if now we spoke about this before as well, I feel as if the all rounders, especially in that format mate, you've gone and you want to sort of rely on your specialist, you want your battenment, your score he runs, you want your bowlers to take your wickets and you want to get the best of the best you can

in that regard. I don't think keepers get enough credit and we have to talk about the stumping. Have you seen it? That was ridiculous that, by the way. Can I tell you how many times I've watched it? We're talking about Drew, Jebel and Stumping and Fortunately Cameron Green, which was, it was so unlucky, but the off balance, the agility. I had to re-watch it because. How is he

caught that and stomp him. Even just to take, even the take, because it was that far down leg side, and then to actually hit the stumps as well, off balance, because I used to keep. And if you take one down on the leg side, you're buzzing or you take a leg side stomping, you've really won the World Cup. But to do it, the way he's done it, basically a cartwheel afterwards. I think he might be the best stumping I've seen. Absolutely. You look back to MSD, that stumping, but I think this one just tops it, because the pace that it was bowled at down the leg side, it was my was down the leg side. and then like you said

the agility to get it back to hit the stums is phenomenal really there have been some exciting moments but does it feel like it's just been a bit predictable does it feel like dare I say the IPL's been a bit flat

pun intended for this year does it feel does it feel like that for you that we kind of know that teams are going to hit 180 200 210 whatever it is and they because the tracks are so flat they're able to get it

I think sometimes you've hit the nail on the head there when you're sort of getting 180s, 190s and even that scores nowhere near, you've got really no needle in the game when you're getting like 220, 2.30s. I feel as if them low scoring games do sort of add

to the intenseness of the game and obviously the schedule's massive as well when you've got so many games to follow and keep up. It can be quite hard to be fair, especially not being in India when it's here. You've got so much cricket to watch it. I think it is quite hard.

Absolutely. I always go back to the boundary sizes in India because they're so small. The wickets are so good, but the bats are so good. So I always say the best bats stay in India or the Indian boys get the best bats and the ball flies. So it's a difficult one, as I said before, but the skill levels are high. The batsmanship, the practice, people don't see what goes on behind the scenes and the way their practice is they do practice it in sixes at practice and it goes miles and that's what people don't get to see. So there's a lot of skill

You must have a fair few bats I've got enough Have you? Do you fancy lending me I might have one thing Yours might be too heavy For me to be fair No they're not

They're good They're not as you get older You have to take a bit off Yeah fair enough Not too bad The reason I say that though Is because you have got So much franchise cricket experience

How many tournaments Have you played in? How many shirts have you got at home? I reckon about 18, 19 shirts. And what is it like to be behind the scenes of a franchise tournament? It's great. From the likes of the IPL to the ILT20 to the CPL to the PSL, Kanagetji T20, you've got NCL, you've got Lanca Premierly, you've got Bangladesh Premierly. I didn't realize there were so many? Yeah, no, you don't.

My head hurt. Honestly, I've missed a load as well, so a big bash. Oh, just missed a big bus. Yeah, the biggest one. Yeah, just that one. What attracts you to the tournament? My favourite one is a CPL. I just love the lifestyle, the laid-back nature of the CPL boys. They have fun.

It's called the party comp. Great islands. Get the hips moving whilst you're there. We're sure they're good. Yeah, yeah, we do a bit out of the evening, I reckon that for us. On the beach, sinking some rum. So, yeah, it's good. It's a great comp.

Some good players. And good franchises, like you said, mostly owned by RPL owners and owners around the world have been great, especially to me and I've been very fortunate. What is it that we don't see in terms of franchise tournaments? Because we see

the big hitters, we see all the action and the celebrations, but what is it that we don't see? You spoke there about the training and it is very much on boundary hitting, but what else don't we see? You probably don't see what goes on behind the scenes on strategic stuff, picking players, who

not to pick, what do we need, what retentions have we got what fits the bill who's in form who's not informed who's injured what jigsaws what pieces do we need and that's the stuff that you don't really get to see the one thing I will say is that

the training beforehand if you only play T20 cricket in England and then you fly off to go and play there is an expectation to perform because you are affiliated to the franchise but then you're expected to perform and there is a responsibility that you help the youngsters along the way with the franchise.

So at training, it's not so much, it's just you, it's about everybody else and how we grow as a team and as a squad and how we can move the franchise forward and what do we need. So it's not just we rock up and play and then we go home. It's a little bit more to it than stuff like that. As a senior player sort of to come in as a coach and sort of nurture the young talent, all right, yeah. You said the CPL is your favourite. I put you on the spot here, but how would you rank the ones that you've been in, if I could say, give us your top five?

CPL being one. Yeah. I like the 100. Okay. I like the Big Bash. I love PSL. Yeah. I had a great...

And you won the title, didn't you as well? I've won it three times, yeah. Twice with Lahore. Twice with Lahore and once with Islamabad. Listen, I love PSL. It's a great standard fanatics about cricket. Yeah, look, Sri Lanka was another one, LPL, where cricket's huge and cricket's love.

So, yeah, they're my top five. You're somebody who's been in the game, and you'll have seen it develop, those things like the 100 have come in, the rise of T20, the rise of franchise cricket as well. How do players balance that then? You know, if they're playing domestic cricket, if they're playing for their country,

but also you've got these opportunities of franchise coming in. So how do you balance that as a player? And you're quite traditional. Yeah, and what sort of tips and tricks would you give to youngsters trying to balance that as well? Well, the first tip I'll give is that don't give up red ball cricket. Because especially for a batsman, red ball cricket, if you're ever out of Nick,

if you don't have the fundamental batting skills, if you're out of Nick, it will take you so long to get it in Nick, if you don't have the skills. and a red ball cricket always brings you back to basics. Whiteball cricket doesn't. So if you go as a specialist and say you want to go and play T20 only

and you're out of Nick, there'll only be a couple of franchises, teams will go, if you're at Nick, then we're not going to pick you, and then it will take time, and then you miss a comp, and then the word gets around saying you're not in Nick, and then it just starts,

the process is longer, but if you play Red Ball Cricket, you're always hitting balls. and I always say that the best batters in the world and the best players in the world have played every format of the game. Chris Gale has played test cricket and has got a 300.

He's one of your favourites, isn't he? He's one of my favour. So Chris Gale, A.B. DeVilleers, Satchin, Ricky Ponting. All the goats. All the goats have always played test cricket. And I'll always go back to that. is that you must play test cricket,

you mustn't give up red ball cricket, until it gets to a point where your body won't let you, then start to slow down and play some formats of the game. But up until then, because I've got love for cricket and passion, I would always play all three formats. I'd never stop. And then what other sort of tips are, would you just base it on the fundamentals of red ball cricket

and then you build from there? Absolutely, fundamentals of red ball cricket. because if you can't, I know I'm going on to try and be a coach here, but if you can't keep the good ball out, you might as not bother because you won't be back in for great long. So I'll just see it as simple as that. You mentioned some players there, and I'm trying my hardest to get some stories out of you.

But who are some of those players that you've played with that you've perhaps learnt something from, or you've taken something in the changing room, or you know, you've taken something from them? What I did take from Ricky Ponting was, if you don't believe in yourself, then nobody else will. And that's a very Aussie mentality, but belief is a big thing for me. And what I do see in youngsters now is that they sometimes lack it.

The old school generation, because there wasn't much franchise cricket, so we just had to play the longer formats. We built and built and built some muscle membrane. But now it's a massive thing, it's belief. Back in yourself. Yeah. Yeah, 100%. And you know when you're talking about when you're possibly out,

out of Nick and stuff. When you've felt yourself be out of Nick at times, how have you sort of brought that out and then go back into form? It was just playing about hitting balls for me. Yeah. Hitting balls, steady bases, make sure unbalanced.

And balance is a big thing for me. It's a big part of my game is balance and timing as a batsman. So just getting the reps in. We've spoken about the IPL being a bit flat this year in terms of predictable. We can't undermine the skill set. But what do the tournament,

what do the owners need to do in years to come to make sure that it still continues to grow. And it's not just a batter's game. It's not just predictable every year. What do you think they need to do? That's a good question. Maybe you stick in an emerging player. Okay, okay.

Have an emerging player. You've got to pick one player that's under the age of 18. And it just levels up the player field a little bit. Okay. So like a kind of underrated, under the radar. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Then you might find a lot of... Sorry, vansions. Yeah. Absolutely. We have 13 years knocking off his record, which is quite scary. So I've got 180s team. In terms of this year, then, we've got Punjab who are undefeated at the moment. Obviously, R.C.B hold the title. How do we think it's going to go?

Are any teams going to creep up the table that are going to surprise us? Because I know your team is Mumbai. It's at the bottom of the minute. Mumbai. Mrs. Ambani won't be too happy. I'm sure she won't. Who, I think, Kings 11 and I do have a affiliation too. Oh, God, I hope so. It could be Kingsesley year this year.

I hope so well. But I would never write off Delhi. The Delhi team are in good shape. RCB and boys never know. They always seem to show up to you. I'd never write off Andy Flower if I were you. No, no, no. Very rarely does he go from a competition

and not take the trophy away from somebody. Shrewd man, his flower. Sounds like a story there. Yeah. No. That's what about it for you? Remind us who was your prediction? Yeah, so I said Mumbai Indians, didn't I?

Oh, it's not going well for you. You want to change it? Yeah, not going too well. But to be fair, I was going to say it, RCB, I think it's a good show. I think they could creep up there just with the power of God. Obviously, Andy Flower at the helm. You can't really go wrong, to be fair. Two years in a row.

What is it about Punjab that they're dominating so much? They've won all of their game so far. They've got the skipper that's leading from the front. I'm sure if she's playing nicely. calm head, nice coach. They looks like they've got the nice balance. And Kings have never had that. But they found some form last year.

They got to the final. I think it could be Kingses this year. I hope so. It was just devastating last year. I was happy for RCB, but Punjab got so close and just missed out as well. Samit, you've also, of course, stepped into the coaching space as well.

How have you found that transition? Yeah, it's been interesting. How you... I try and just say, less than more. Okay. Saying less is actually quite good because you're putting the ownership back on the player. So I'm waiting for the player to ask me rather than I'm telling the player,

which is how I'd try to be coached. Did you learn that from some of the coaches you'd had growing up? Yeah, Peter Moore's for me and Flower were very constructive, but there was no grey area which was really important where you knew exactly where you stood with Flower and Pete. But also they gave you the time. time to develop and evolve and learn stuff about your game that wasn't coached.

And I think that's really important. And kids are sponges these days. So they learn quickly. They watch off the TV. Surrey Ranchia, a prime example. No fear at all. Once every ball at the park, Abbe Shaked the same. So, yeah, saying less as possible.

What makes a good coach then, Fas? What kind of coach would you be? I think it's all about your man management as well and stuff and how you sort of get your message across because obviously all people, all kids are going to have different ways of interpreting information so I think saying less is more is probably a good thing when you've got players willing to improve

coming to you sort of asking for feedback and then you can go off there because sometimes if you deliver a message or someone delivers a message to you and it's not something that you might want to hear, tough looking, going to need to hear it so I think it is just how you get a message across really because obviously you have to know your stuff

that's normal you have to have an ounce of the game but it's sort of how you deliver that message so I think it's all the man management and keeping a calm head as well from the top you're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 live you mentioned about younger players

not having that belief when you've got someone like Surrey Vanchi who probably has all the belief in the world how do you instill that into a player because that must be a pretty tricky job to do as a coach well you're saying they got his first hundred in the eye pell at 14 years old that's a minute percentage of the world that could do that

um these wonders for your confidence doesn't it really yeah i guess yeah i guess it's the other way when you've got other sort of young talents like that who've got that talent or similar talent obviously maybe not similar because that's ridiculous but talent the kids who maybe don't have that belief how do you instill it into them when you can see they've got the potential and got bags of it but they might not see it themselves it's a good question and that's just the mentality thing that you slowly slowly have to creep into their training and you have to train in a certain way for them to believe it and it and it might be in a point where in a match where they do deliver and you have to reinforce what they've done really really well and make them and show

it them video it yeah tell them arm around the shoulder that kind of stuff that building up belief and there'll be no negative there at all regardless for there was a negative I wouldn't mention the negative at all because the only thing you'll remember is that negative yeah yeah so I'd always reinforce the positive stuff and never mention the negative stuff have you taken elements of your playing experience and incorporate that into your coaching style it sounds like you have absolutely yeah because if somebody would have to coach me this way the way I would try and coach I probably would have got another

10, 15% out myself. Really? Yeah, I reckon yeah. Wow. Because then I wouldn't have played, I reckon I played 40% of my time for England in fear of getting dropped. Yeah, that's mental that. But I must be so tricky. I'm always just watching behind my back saying

I'll be dropped next game or two games and I'll be done or I'll be out of the team. And that's not a good place to be because there's always going to be someone knocking on the door, but I think you get more cracks now than when I was playing for England.

I think to hear you say that speaks a lot because at the time, I personally, because me and my dad were big fans of yourself, so being able to chat with his class, but I personally believed you were in the country at one point one of the best white ball players like we had,

and I was quite surprised he didn't play more for England. So to hear you say that, it's like, at the level you were, I think that's crazy me. I just don't understand why. I don't have many regrets, but the one regret I do is having a not playing a home test match.

Yeah. I played all my country, I played all my games in England, but then not been given a chance to play in front of my home fans. And I'd always been labelled as a subcontinent type place. Every time I went away, the summit would be on the trip

because we're going to Sri Lanka and UAE and Pakistan and India. But I just didn't get given the chance in England, but I scored all my runs here. it was baffling to be honest and that was the only I'd have is that I didn't quite get to have a chance

of playing a test match and I would have been close but I didn't get it which was the only bit of regret I have Do you think you enjoyed your time playing for England? I loved it

because you had that fear and there was always that fear being dropped so I'm saying does that take the enjoyment out of it? Not enjoyment because I loved cricket but yeah

maybe a little bit right. I think there's always some I was always watching someone over my shoulder and one or two bad performances and I was probably the one of the easiest guys to drop because I batted at seven

I never I never really had a chance to go up the order I batted up the order in India once in a series and did really well and then I was out the squad for a bit so it was a bit hit and miss Gene you were hard done by sometimes

sometimes I think you were. I think you were definitely. As I said, like me and my dad used to watch so much and even when you were playing for knots and things like that and we used to think, oh, it's so good, like ridiculously good. I don't know you, it's just nice to see one of our own in the England squad.

Yeah, especially when I was growing up and we was just so nice to see somebody that looked like us in the England team. Well, do you know what? Me and Ravi are one of the best mates. So, Rav, we play a lot of cricket together and I know he's done now. So it's, yeah, we always speak about the times

that we're. We did play together and that million dollar game in Stanford T20, Ellen Stanford was one of my first trips away for England, which was a fantastic two weeks in Antigua, but we didn't come away with a million dollars, so it was a bit disappointing. It's a bit closer at home for me because my, there's been a couple times where my dad's been mistaken for you, Sam it.

Really? Yeah, honestly, unbelievable. Like years and years ago, my dad was in the airport once, and he's with all his mates and stuff, And some guy was like sheeplessly looking at him And he came over and he was like Oh He's Sammet

And my dad was like Yeah yeah Yeah And he was like oh could have your autograph He was like yeah God was dish an autograph So that is brilliant That is so funny

That has made my day There's somebody that thinks they've got Samit Patel's And it's actually your dad I actually thought the guy of traitors was your dad Oh did you know I'm not even joking I was convinced

that was your dad? No, yeah, loads of people did, didn't it? Yeah, honestly, that was class, like. It's always... Oh, well, that was class, actually. It's always so funny to see. Why were you actually so quiet on traitors? And how did you get away with it for so long? Also, by the way, Sammit's our first guest to have watched you on the train. Is it?

For so long, you literally didn't say anything. No, I did. Well, it did, but obviously, it doesn't look like that. Question you? Because I'm just cool, just cool, I'm collecting. No, I'm having you on Traitors. This boy, was loving the food. That's what he was doing. That was it. Putting the blueberries away.

Putting the blueberries away. Keep me busy. That's what kept me quiet. My mouth is full. And it did him a favour because he just slipped under the radar. That's why he got to the final. People that slip on the radar always get questions. Can you just recreate your line at the end?

I've been done by grandma. Grandma's dumb. Oh my God. Oh my God. I was in tears. You know what? I had people messaging me kicking off saying, why are you calling her a grandma?

She's only 40. I was like, what are these going on here? But you had that sort of relationship, didn't you? Yeah, of course. It was class, yeah, she was class, Rachel. And she kept you in. Yeah, she was good crack. Let's bring it back on to IPL then.

I want your predictions for who is going to take. We've had a good couple of weeks now, so we hopefully may have different predictions. Your bowler, your batter and your team that are going to stick out for you this season. My batter, Soravanshi. Obviously. Meza just name this episode, by the way. Sorry, Avanchu. Fan club.

Team Kings 11. Good. choice. Bowler, Ravi Bishanoi. Oh, we've not had that yet. How come? He's a spinner, so I have a quite

leniency for that. But I think he's a really, he's experienced spinner, he's played the IPL for so long. He's actually carrying R.R.R. really well, along with Jopha, I know Jopha's been doing really well, but spinning that middle period where they need wickets, Bishnoi's been getting. Okay. Thank you, Samit.

For you, Vas? Yeah, I think Suribanchini, you get. he's like honestly class because people people have been talking about is it hype is it hype and it's not all because he just delivers delivers and he never fails to deliver do you know what I mean so I think 100%

him I think RCB could creep up as I said there I think that'll be a good shout but baller I think if Joffra Carrey's on the way he can't really knock him to be fair it's definitely not hype around Suravanchi I mean it's not and because he's shown he's consistent he's also in the running for orange cap yeah he's fifth on that list

So he's doing very, very well. I will be very surprised if he's not in the Indian T20 settle, like very soon. Yeah, I don't need to get him in. It's been an absolute joy. Thank you so much to both of you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you to Sam it. Thank you to Faras.

We will see you next week for a whole new episode of Strategic Time Out. We'll see you there. The TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live.