Matthew Hayden Advises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi To Learn Batting Approach From GT Stars

Matthew Hayden praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive batting in IPL 2026 but suggested the Rajasthan Royals youngster could benefit from adopting the longer-format approach.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has emerged as one of the most exciting young talents in IPL 2026 after producing fearless knocks for Rajasthan Royals. The 15-year-old batter has maintained a staggering strike rate of 236.56 while averaging 40.00 this season.

Despite the eye-catching numbers, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden raised concerns regarding the youngster’s batting pattern. Hayden, currently serving as the batting coach of Gujarat Titans, hinted that Sooryavanshi could improve further by adopting a more balanced style similar to GT openers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan.

Although Sooryavanshi has delivered explosive performances, his scores have fluctuated throughout the season. Apart from his record-breaking 37-ball century against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 25, the teenager has also registered low scores including a golden duck, 4, 8, and 31.

The biggest concern surrounding his batting remains the inability to play deep into the innings. Notably, the highest number of deliveries he has faced in an IPL 2026 innings remains just 37 balls.

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Matthew Hayden Compares Sooryavanshi With Gill And Sudharsan

Hayden’s comments came after the Rajasthan Royals versus Gujarat Titans clash, where Sooryavanshi smashed a quickfire 36 off 16 balls before getting dismissed inside the third over. In contrast, Gill and Sudharsan stitched together a composed 118-run opening stand from 65 balls and carried their innings well into the middle overs.

While appreciating the consistency of Gill, Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler, Hayden explained the importance of batting deeper in high-scoring chases.

“Well, tonight was a good example, right, of an exciting young talent in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He batted, got 30 runs at a strike rate of 300. But when you’re chasing 220 odd, you need to bat longer and deeper. So the advantage that we have is that we get players, like the top three that you mentioned, who are striking at 150,” Hayden said.

The former Australian opener further highlighted how difficult it is for batters to maintain consistency while controlling aggression during the powerplay overs. He praised Gill and Sudharsan for taking responsibility and reducing pressure on the middle order.

“Let me tell you as a batter, that is really hard, and they’re doing it for a long period of time, they’re constantly getting into the back half of the game, not just batting inside the powerplay. They’re going right through with their fitness and their ability to be able to really play Test match-type cricket, and ODI cricket in particular,” Hayden added.

Rajasthan Royals Collapse Exposes Batting Concerns

Hayden’s remarks gained more attention after Rajasthan Royals failed in their massive 230-run chase against Gujarat Titans on May 9. RR lost both Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal inside the first four overs, putting the side under immediate pressure.

The situation worsened as Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel also failed to convert their starts, leaving Rajasthan Royals struggling at 87 for 4 in just 7.3 overs.

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Rashid Khan then dismantled the batting lineup with brilliant figures of 4 for 33, while Jason Holder picked up three wickets and Kagiso Rabada claimed two scalps to complete a dominant win for Gujarat Titans.