3 min readMay 7, 2026 01:59 PM IST
“Well, I haven’t seen this before. I haven’t seen a 15-year-old doing this.”
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke perhaps summed up the disbelief around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi better than most after the teenager’s extraordinary rise in IPL 2026.
Speaking on Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Clarke compared the scale of the hype around the 15-year-old to the early days of Sachin Tendulkar, while also cautioning against rushing expectations around the youngster’s future in Test cricket.
“You know, I think back, and again, you can’t compare. Two very different players. But I remember Sachin Tendulkar coming to Australia as a 17-year-old and, mate, that hype was real. I think he was 16. Was 16. And that hype was earned. That legacy is there for everyone to see,” the 45-year-old said.
Sooryavanshi has become one of the biggest talking points of the IPL season, with his fearless strokeplay and composure drawing attention far beyond India.
He has made 404 runs in 10 matches for RR in IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 237.64 with two fifties and a hundred. The teenager’s rise has triggered excitement around what he could become, but Clarke stressed that the conversation needs to remain grounded in the present.
“I don’t think anybody’s saying he can walk into Test cricket and be, well, I hope nobody’s saying he can walk into Test cricket and be one of the greats tomorrow,” he said.
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The former Australian captain pointed out that Sooryavanshi’s current game appears naturally suited to the T20 format, where his attacking instincts and range of strokeplay have already made an impact.
“I think the way he plays is very much, at the moment, in what I’m watching, is very much suited to this format,” Clarke observed.
At the same time, Clarke made it clear that performances at such a young age naturally put him on the pathway towards higher honours.
“Now, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get picked at some stage. If he keeps scoring runs, no matter what format, he’ll play T20 cricket for India, one-day cricket for India, and hopefully Test cricket for India,” he said.
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Clarke added that the real challenge for Sooryavanshi would begin once he steps beyond franchise cricket and into the demands of international cricket across formats and conditions.
“And then the challenge is going to be to adapt to three formats, adapt to different conditions around the world,” Clarke said.
Still, Clarke believes age remains firmly on the youngster’s side. “There’s no reason, he’s young, he’s 15,” he added.
