Rajasthan Royals Vaibhav Suryavanshi (ANI Image)
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has once again shown why he is considered one of the most exciting young talents in the Indian Premier League, but Matthew Hayden believes the Rajasthan Royals opener still has an important lesson to learn in T20 cricket.During Rajasthan’s massive 230-man chase against Gujarat Titans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Sooryavanshi looked dangerous from the start. The left-hander smashed 36 runs off just 16 balls and briefly gave the Royals hope of a stunning run chase. However, Mohammed Siraj removed the teenager at a crucial moment, and Rajasthan never recovered from that setback as they eventually suffered a crushing 77-run defeat.
He watches
Matthew Hayden explains the formula for GT’s success, Rashid’s comeback and his bowling firepower
Speaking after the match, Hayden admitted that he was impressed by the courageous style shown by the young player. But Australia’s previous opener also demonstrated why quick cameos alone are not enough when chasing totals in excess of 220.“Well, tonight was a good example, right, of the exciting young talent in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He batted, got 30 runs at a strike rate of .300. But when you’re chasing 220 singles, you need to bat longer and deeper.
“The advantage we have is that we have players, like the first three I mentioned, who number up to 150,” Hayden told reporters during the post-match press conference.Hayden then highlighted what sets the Gujarat Titans apart from many other teams this season. According to him, the consistency of the Titans’ top order has been built around balancing aggression with longevity at the crease.“Let me tell you as a hitter, that’s really tough, and they’ve been doing this for a long period of time, they’re constantly getting into the back half of the game, not just hitting inside the power play.
“They are keeping an eye on their fitness and ability to be able to play Test cricket, and ODI cricket in particular,” he added.Gujarat Titans’ top three have been among the most consistent batting units in IPL 2026.
Shubman Gill
He recorded a strike rate of 160.41 this season, while
Jos Butler
and Sai Sudharson maintained strike rates of 151.96 and 157.70 respectively.Hayden also admitted that Gujarat generally feel more comfortable in games where the average is between 160 and 180.
That’s why he was particularly happy with the way the Giants adapted their batting style against an unpredictable Rajasthan team capable of producing stunning performances.“So, I like the fact that we’re building in the innings. Tonight, as we set a target, which is a different challenge for us, we had a number of totals in that kind of 160 range. Which is what I would back our batting to get to any day of the week, so tonight was nice to have that bit of a challenge against an X-factor team like Rajasthan Royals, and coming out on top was really important for us,” Hayden said.Earlier in the match, Gill led Gujarat’s batting effort with a brilliant 84 off just 44 deliveries, helping the Giants compile 229/6 in 20 overs before the bowlers completed a dominant victory.
