Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Bradmanesque T20 exploits leave Tom Moody speechless
What's the story
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old prodigy, has taken the cricketing world by storm with his explosive batting in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The young gun recently broke Chris Gayle's record for most sixes in a single IPL season. He hit an incredible 12 sixes in a high-pressure IPL 2026 Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, taking his tally to a whopping 65 sixes this season. Sooryavanshi, who smashed a 29-ball 97, left several experts, including Tom Moody, speechless.
Comparison
Tom Moody left speechless by Sooryavanshi's impact
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody was in awe of Sooryavanshi's impact on the game. He said what the teenager is doing with the bat is something that has never been seen before in cricket. "We're witnessing something I don't think we've seen in our lifetime in this format of the game, or even any format of the game," Moody told ESPNCricinfo.
Dominance
Moody draws parallels between Sooryavanshi and Bradman's era dominance
Moody further compared Sooryavanshi's dominance to that of the legendary Sir Donald Bradman. He said the gap between Sooryavanshi and other players in T20 cricket is similar to Bradman's unmatched numbers in Test cricket. "The only thing I can take it back to is what Bradman was doing, Bradman nearly averaged 100 in Test cricket, and the drop-off to the next best was around 60," he said.
Near-record
Sooryavanshi falls short of Gayle's fastest IPL century record
Sooryavanshi came close to breaking the record for the fastest ton in IPL history. He scored a blistering 97 off just 29 balls, falling just three runs short of Gayle's benchmark of a 30-ball hundred. Facing one of the strongest pace attacks in Pat Cummins, Eshan Malinga, Praful Hinge, and Sakib Hussain, Sooryavanshi overpowered them with his incredible batting display.
Current standing
RR beat SRH to reach Qualifier 2
Sooryavanshi's explosive innings helped Rajasthan Royals post a massive total of 243 runs. Chasing the target, Sunrisers Hyderabad coped with early blows and never recovered thereafter. The Orange Army perished for 196 in just 19.2 overs. The win was a collective effort as Jofra Archer also played a key role with the ball, dismissing three SRH batsmen during the Powerplay.