Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s start to IPL 2026 has sparked genuine wonder across the T20 landscape, with even long-time cricket thinkers struggling to find the right words. On Wednesday, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) youngster produced a sensational 97 off just 29 balls in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), coming agonisingly close to Chris Gayle’s landmark of the quickest IPL hundred. After that innings, one comparison has stood out more than most—Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Global Director of Cricket Tom Moody likened Sooryavanshi’s current dominance in the shortest format to the way Don Bradman once ruled Tests.
Sooryavanshi’s near-record 97 in the Eliminator
In RR’s Eliminator meeting with SRH, Sooryavanshi’s hitting took centre stage as he struck at a pace that kept the chase and the imagination moving together. He finished with 97 from 29 deliveries and only narrowly missed the celebrated mark that Gayle set for the fastest century in IPL history.
Moody compares the T20 impact to Bradman’s Test supremacy
Moody’s reaction to Sooryavanshi’s form was not the usual brand of praise; it was closer to disbelief. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, he said he was struggling to explain what he was seeing, suggesting that the best description would come from watching it unfold rather than trying to capture it with words.
- Moody said he finds it difficult to “get [his] head around” how to frame Sooryavanshi’s level of dominance.
- He added that the only sensible way to describe it is for someone to watch and decide for themselves, because what is happening feels unprecedented even across formats.
- He stressed that while cricket has produced many extraordinary moments, the intensity of this run of performances feels “to this extreme” beyond what he recalls in his lifetime for T20—or even other formats.
To make the comparison clearer, Moody reached for an old benchmark from the longest format. He pointed to the way Bradman’s greatness separated him from the rest—describing how Bradman was close to averaging 100 in Tests and how the next-best figure sat far lower.
- Moody said the analogy he can relate it to is Bradman’s Test dominance.
- He noted Bradman nearly averaged 100 in Test cricket, while the gap between Bradman and the next level was roughly around 60.
- Moody then drew the parallel that this kind of separation is appearing even in T20, and that too at the age of 15.
Moody’s comparison carries weight because Bradman is the holder of the highest Test batting average—99.94—and is widely viewed as one of, if not the greatest, Test batters ever. Yet Moody’s point was that Sooryavanshi’s influence in IPL 2026 is so strong that even such a comparison does not feel shocking.
Where Sooryavanshi stands at 15: runs, strike-rate and leader’s role
What makes the Moody comparison more striking is that Sooryavanshi is doing it while still only in his second IPL season. At 15 years old, he has climbed to the top of the run-scoring charts ahead of established names including Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Heinrich Klaasen and KL Rahul.
- Sooryavanshi has made 680 runs in 15 matches in IPL 2026.
- His strike-rate is 242.85, a number that captures the speed and consistency of his scoring.
And while Moody is part of a rival franchise setup—LSG being on the other side of the Rajasthan Royals—he still felt compelled to underline the resemblance. In short, Sooryavanshi’s performance in the Eliminator, his near-miss of Gayle’s fastest IPL century, and his extraordinary run-scoring momentum have combined to set off one of the most talked-about debates of this IPL season: whether what’s unfolding is more than just a hot streak.
