Former Australia great Matthew Hayden has sparked fresh excitement around Rajasthan Royals teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi by comparing him to Brian Lara, dubbing the 15-year-old the Indian Premier League’s “marquee player”. Speaking on a YouTube broadcast, the IPL icon was asked about the youngster’s standout run in IPL 2026, where he has been turning heads with both batting fluency and calm decision-making.
Hayden’s comments came with a clear Orange Cap context. Sooryavanshi is positioned ahead of Virat Kohli in the race, sitting on 247 runs at the time of Hayden’s discussion. He was described as being among the leading scorers, currently placed fifth, having accumulated 254 runs in seven matches. His average of 36.29 and a strike rate of 220.86 underline how quickly he has been scoring.
Sooryavanshi is also Rajasthan Royals’ top run-getter this season. In the Orange Cap standings at the time referenced, he was behind Shubman Gill (265), Sanju Samson (293), Heinrich Klaasen (320) and Abhishek Sharma (323). Hayden stressed that the attention isn’t only about his age—his composure against established pace threats, including Jasprit Bumrah, has been a major talking point.
Against Bumrah, Sooryavanshi produced a statement start: he struck a six off the first ball, then followed it up by sending the Mumbai Indians bowler for another maximum in the same over. Hayden framed it as a mindset shift—suggesting that even when facing one of the game’s most demanding bowlers, the teenager plays as if the moment belongs to him.
“Almost Brian Lara-like”
Hayden singled out the youngster’s technique, calling particular attention to his backlift. He said the movement shows both intent and flexibility, and he linked that freedom to what made Lara special. Hayden’s view was that Sooryavanshi’s style gives him a sense of control and release that is rare to see at such an early stage in a career.
He added, “It’s almost Brian—don’t shoot me down. It’s almost Brian Lara-like, his backlift.” Hayden explained that Lara used to get the ball moving around his body, and he feels Sooryavanshi is carrying a similar kind of unforced freedom, one he believes is unmatched across the competition. Hayden also highlighted the way the teenager handled Bumrah, describing the first-ball six as the kind of moment that communicates confidence instantly.
Hayden then addressed the pressure question, noting that the experience of early success can bring its own tests. He contrasted it with a recent outing involving Sai Sudharsan, where a first-ball dismissal happened against Bumrah. In Hayden’s telling, that kind of contrast shows how different players respond to the same bowler, and he believes it will be fascinating to watch how youthful freedom develops into pressure handling as the tournament goes on.
“It’ll be very interesting to see as the tournament wears on and at what point does youth give way to pressure,” Hayden said, pointing out that expectations are now “massive” for Sooryavanshi from the Rajasthan Royals perspective and from the broader league audience. He reiterated the point that the teenager has effectively become the competition’s marquee figure.
Writing headlines
Hayden also talked about the wider excitement surrounding Sooryavanshi’s batting. He said people are “super excited” by the way the youngster approaches his cricket, and he referenced the evolving Orange Cap picture—mentioning players such as Heinrich Klaasen and Shubman Gill, along with Virat Kohli’s return to form with 247 runs, an average of 49 and a strike rate of 157.
He then contrasted those numbers with Sooryavanshi’s momentum, at one stage describing him as being around 246 runs and a strike rate in the mid-230s range, while noting that his average was also sitting at about 40. Hayden cautioned that the Orange Cap standings were changing, but the message remained the same: Sooryavanshi is striking with urgency while keeping his scoring rate under control.
“He’s got balls of steel as well,” Hayden said, suggesting that the teenager is coming out swinging and that opponents are trying to figure out how to slow down the “avalanche” of runs. He added that the headline-making nature of Sooryavanshi’s performances has captivated a huge national audience, and that the 15-year-old is approaching games with the kind of fearlessness that makes him dangerous even before pressure can settle.
Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, are currently placed second in the points table with five wins and two defeats. Sooryavanshi has been one of the key reasons behind the franchise’s dominant displays, and the team’s next challenge is against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their upcoming IPL 2026 match scheduled for Saturday in Jaipur.
