Former Australian player Matthew Hayden believes India’s young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has the potential to do well in both short and long formats. He applauded the youngster’s courage, mental strength, and ability to thrive in the IPL (Indian Premier League), stating that he has the ingredients to become a world-class player.
At just 15, Sooryavanshi recently enjoyed a stunning run in T20I cricket, scoring 151 runs in three matches against Zimbabwe to claim his maiden Player of the Series award as India completed a 3-0 clean sweep last month as well. Earlier, in the T20I series against England, he became the youngest Indian ever to make his international debut as well.
“Some people say he may be a short-format player only, but I personally disagree. I believe Vaibhav has the potential to succeed in the longer format of the game as well. Fitness is certainly one part of that, but more than anything, it’s about mental strength. One of the things I love about Vaibhav is that, at just 15, he had the courage and commitment to take on a major, show-stopping, blockbuster tournament like the IPL, and not just participate, but thrive in it. That tells me he has many of the right ingredients to become a world-class player,” Hayden said.
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Hayden also applauded Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s immense talent and development while acknowledging that he still has work to do at the highest level. He also backed Sooryavanshi’s potential and said that his future would ultimately depend on how he shapes his career as well.
“Vaibhav has an immense pool of talent, and we’ve all been incredibly excited, whether as broadcasters or coaches, to watch his development. But, as he’s found out, at the very highest level, there’s still work to do, and I’m sure he’ll embrace that. He’s a terrific young player with outstanding potential, and ultimately, it will be up to him how he wants to shape his career,” he further added.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s India debut came on the back of an awesome IPL 2026 campaign with the Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs at a massive strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties. He finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer while setting a new record for the most sixes in a season with 72.
He also swept the post-season awards, claiming the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker, and Super Sixes honours as well. Sooryavanshi also enjoyed another standout campaign at the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, scoring 439 runs and being named Player of the Tournament as well.
