Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise has been as swift as it has been striking. At just 15, the left-hander has already shown the confidence to take on elite bowlers, combining fearless strokeplay with rare composure.
He first grabbed attention with a standout IPL campaign, where he stood out with his fearlessness against seasoned opponents. That form fast-tracked his India call-up, handing him the opportunity to rub shoulders with the senior pros. Although he had a quiet start on the England tour, the youngster quickly found his rhythm in Zimbabwe, finishing as Player of the Series with 151 runs in three matches.
His ability to adapt so early in his career has strengthened the belief that Indian cricket may have unearthed a rare talent. However, former
India batter Robin Uthappa believes it is too early to draw firm conclusions about the teenager’s long-term trajectory.
While urging caution, Uthappa admitted that Sooryavanshi’s technique reminds him of one of the game’s all-time greats.
“It’s hard to say that now. We haven’t really seen the bowlers respond to what Vaibhav is doing. People are just coming to terms with the way he’s batting. So, we’ll have to wait and see. Because when Bradman was batting the way he did, what they resorted to was bodyline. Vaibhav has a similar technique to Bradman, where he almost never got out LBW,” Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.
Bradman’s record remains unmatched in cricket history. In 52 Tests, he scored 6,996 runs at an average of 99.94, including 29 centuries and a highest score of 334.
Uthappa further noted that Sooryavanshi could stand out if he sustains both his scoring rate and consistency over time, while also reflecting on Bradman’s career.
“If Vaibhav can maintain an average in the high 40s with his strike rate, he could be considered an outlier. It would have also been interesting to see if the World War 2 hadn’t happened and Bradman had played 30 Tests more, would be have still averaged 99 or over a 100?” he added.
For now, Sooryavanshi’s journey is only beginning, but the early signs suggest a talent worth watching closely.
