Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Hayden backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to excel in longer formats
A famous cricket player from Australia named Matthew Hayden says a 15-year-old boy from India named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is very special.
Vaibhav played for India against Zimbabwe and scored 151 runs in just three games.
India won all three games and Vaibhav won the Player of the Series prize.
Earlier, Vaibhav became the youngest player ever to play for India when he made his debut against England.
He also played in a big cricket tournament called the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals team.
In that tournament, he scored 776 runs and hit 72 sixes, setting a new season record.
He won many honours, including the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs.
Hayden thinks Vaibhav can be a great player in quick short games and longer games too.
He says Vaibhav is brave and mentally strong, not just powerful with the bat.
Hayden also says Vaibhav still has work to do at the highest level and his future is up to him.
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden believes 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can succeed in both short and longer formats.
Sooryavanshi scored 151 runs in three T20Is against Zimbabwe, earning Player of the Series in India's 3-0 clean sweep.
He became India's youngest-ever international debutant during the earlier T20I series against England.
In IPL 2026 with the Rajasthan Royals, he scored 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties.
He claimed the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes honours for IPL 2026.
- Who
- Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, praising 15-year-old Indian batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
- What
- Hayden backed Sooryavanshi to succeed in the longer format of cricket, not just short formats, after his record-breaking IPL 2026 and T20I performances.
- When
- Comments reported on August 12, following Sooryavanshi's T20I Player of the Series run last month and his IPL 2026 season.
- Where
- Darwin, Australia, where Hayden spoke to ANI; Sooryavanshi plays for India and the Rajasthan Royals.
- Why
- Because Sooryavanshi's courage, mental strength and IPL success at age 15 suggest he has the ingredients to become a world-class player.
Short-format only
All-format potential
Sooryavanshi's format future
Short-format only
Some people say Sooryavanshi may be a short-format player only, given his explosive T20 style.
All-format potential
Matthew Hayden disagrees, saying his mental strength and courage suggest he can succeed in the longer format as well.
- Player
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- Age
- 15
- IPL 2026 team
- Rajasthan Royals
- IPL 2026 runs
- 776 runs at strike rate 237.30
- Sixes in IPL 2026
- 72 (new season record)
- T20I series vs Zimbabwe
- 151 runs in 3 matches, Player of the Series
- Honours won
- Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker, Super Sixes
- Comment by
- Matthew Hayden, former Australian opener