3 min readJul 4, 2026 04:57 PM IST
Australian great Matthew Hayden has warned upcoming players from trying to replicate Vaibhav Sooryavanshi‘s batting, wondering if that style is sustainable. Sooryavanshi, still waiting for an India senior team debut, has muscled in to the cricketing consciousness with his all-out attacking approach.
When Hayden was asked whether Shubman Gill’s classical batsmanship and the Bihar lad’s pyrotechnics can co-exist in T20s, he said to PTI, “We are talking about two very unique personalities. Can both (Gill and Sooryavanshi) styles exist? Absolutely. They already do. The challenge for any youngster watching someone like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is whether that style can be sustained over a long period.”
“Shubman Gill has already shown that it can be done with consistency at the international level, and for me, international cricket remains the premium standard. Just as we see footballers like Lionel Messi represent both club and country successfully, there is room for different approaches in cricket,” Hayden explained.
Hayden, who has been a coach and a respected cricket commentator, said each and every player should search within to find a way to go about their job in their own individual style.
“I strongly believe in helping players find their own inner warrior. Sooryavanshi and Shubman Gill are completely different personalities with different backgrounds and different journeys. That’s the beauty of cricket. It’s a skill-based game, and every player arrives with unique technical strengths and experiences,” Hayden said.
“I grew up admiring Brian Lara, but I wasn’t Brian Lara. I wasn’t West Indian either. I grew up in regional Queensland where sport was central to everyday life. I developed my own game based on my instincts, and that eventually allowed me to become one of the best players in the world.” For Hayden, it is important for every player to find his own identity, making them unique. Sport is full of unique personalities. There will never be another Jonah Lomu (rugby great), another Lionel Messi or another Kelly Slater (surfer). As coaches, our job is to discover those players, nurture their individuality and make sure their development is sustainable,” he added.
