'Great find for India': Brett Lee hails India wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as Australia legend is in awe of youngster's talent
'Great find for India': Brett Lee hails India wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as Australia legend is in awe of youngster's talent originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.KEY TAKEAWAYS:Brett Lee has hailed India teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a "great find" for the country.The Australia legend was in awe of the 15-year-old's talent and fearless strokeplay.Lee said he would relish the challenge of bowling to Sooryavanshi in his prime.AdvertisementBrett Lee heaps praise on India sensation Vaibhav SooryavanshiAustralia great Brett Lee has become the latest cricketing figure to fall under the spell of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, describing the India teenager as a remarkable talent and a "great find" for the country. The former fast bowler joined a growing chorus of legends left astonished by the 15-year-old.Sooryavanshi burst onto the global stage with a stunning IPL 2026 campaign for Rajasthan Royals, capped by a 29-ball 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator. He finished as the tournament's MVP and broke Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes in a single IPL season.That form followed a barnstorming Under-19 World Cup, where he smashed 175 off 80 balls against England in the final, the highest individual score in any ICC global tournament final. His exploits have inevitably drawn debate about his age, a talking point Lee addressed head-on.AdvertisementMORE: BCCI secretary to visit COE amid fitness crisis in Indian cricket teamWhy Brett Lee is in awe of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's talentLee made clear that questions over the teenager's age were beside the point, insisting his ability alone marked him out as special. He was effusive about what Sooryavanshi has already achieved."He is incredible. Everyone offshore, away from India, asks the question if he's 15. Is he 15 is probably the biggest talking point around the world," Lee told Ranveer Allahbadia."I don't care how old he is. If he's 15, fantastic, but if he's 17 or 18, who cares. This kid can play cricket. He has been such a great find for India, and he's going to go on to achieve bigger and better things."AdvertisementThe Australia legend was particularly struck by the teenager's fearlessness against high-quality pace. He pointed to the way Sooryavanshi took on international bowlers during his breakout IPL season."He has already lit up the IPL in such a short space of time. That 97 he got, he was up against Aussie bowlers. They were bowling gas, and he was hooking them off his nose," Lee said."He is playing proper cricketing shots and has power that he finds from somewhere. It won't be his form or batting; it'll only be his mind. He still has to be a kid. Let him be a kid and don't put too much pressure."Lee, one of the fastest bowlers the game has seen, also relished the hypothetical contest of bowling to the youngster. He suggested he would happily test Sooryavanshi with the short ball.Advertisement"If someone was a good hooker or puller of the ball, I used to love that because then it becomes a contest. So of course I would go into the boardroom, go upstairs and have a look. I'll put one on his badge and see what he does with it," the former fast bowler added. "He might hook me for six, but it won't discourage me from giving him another one."MORE: Fans relieved as RCB star delivers with bat amid Sai Sudharsan injuryWhy Lee's words carry a warning as much as praiseAmid the glowing tributes, the most valuable part of Lee's assessment is his plea to let the boy be a kid. It is easy to get swept up in the hype around a generational talent, but a 15-year-old carrying the weight of a cricket-obsessed nation's expectations is a genuine risk, and Lee's caution about the mental side is well judged.AdvertisementThe cricketing verdict, though, feels settled. When bowlers of Lee's pedigree are talking about the thrill of the contest rather than picking holes in a teenager's game, it says everything about the level Sooryavanshi is already operating at.If his temperament holds up under the scrutiny, the "great find" tag may soon look like an understatement.
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