The ex-Australian cricketer thought of Don Bradman thanks to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's tricks

The cricketing world is still searching for words to describe what Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is doing at the age of 15. With every innings, the teenage sensation continues to defy expectations, forcing pundits and former players alike to reach for comparisons that few young cricketers have ever drawn.

Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody has now paid perhaps the biggest compliment yet when he invoked the name of Sir Don Bradman in an attempt to explain the extent of Sooryavanshi’s achievements.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Moody admitted he is struggling to find a suitable match for the Rajasthan Royals youngster, whose fearless batting has become one of the defining stories of IPL 2026.

“I’m trying to figure out how to explain it,” Moody said.

“The only way to explain it is to ask someone to watch it and come up with their own description, because we’re witnessing something that I don’t think we’ve ever seen in this game format, or even any game format.”

Sooryavanshi’s rise was nothing short of extraordinary. The left-handed batsman faced some of the world’s best bowlers with remarkable confidence, displaying a range of strikes and a level of composure that belies his age. While teenage prodigies have emerged before, few have dominated a major T20 competition the way Sooryavanshi has.

Moody believes the uniqueness of the youngster’s performances makes it difficult to compare him to any modern player.

“We’ve seen amazing things, but not to this extreme,” Moody said.

The former Australian cricketer then turned to the sport’s greatest statistical phenomenon, Bradman, in an attempt to put Sooryavanshi’s impact into perspective.

“The only thing I can bring it back to is when we weren’t here for what Don Bradman did. Bradman averaged close to 100 in Test cricket and the drop to the next best was around 60, so that’s the department we’re talking about. It’s in T20 cricket at the age of 15.”

The comparison is not necessarily about style or numbers, but about the gap between Sooryavanshi and what is generally considered possible. Bradman’s dominance over his contemporaries remains unsurpassed in cricket history and Moody’s comments underline how highly the former Australia coach rates the teenager’s achievements.

Sooryavanshi’s performances have already earned praise from several cricketing greats, including Sunil Gavaskar, who recently backed the youngster for placing in Indian T20 squad for the upcoming tour of England.

With every match, the excitement around Sooryavanshi continues to grow. Whether he’s smashing veteran international bowlers into the stands or rewriting age-old records, the teenager has become one of the most talked-about names in world cricket.

For now, the cricketing world is just trying to enjoy the ride. As Moody’s comments suggest, what Sooryavanshi produces at 15 is so rare that even seasoned observers are forced to reach back to the Bradman days for a reference point.

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Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

29 May 2026 16:13 IST