‘I don’t care how old he is’ – Brett Lee shares his views on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

India’s teen batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi emerged as one of the biggest attractions of IPL 2026 following his impressive performances in the tournament. His rapid rise earned him promotion to India’s T20I setup, where he made his debut against England this year at age 15. The teenager has since featured in India’s tour of Zimbabwe, where he responded strongly after a difficult start against England and finished the series as Player of the Series.

The former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, during his interaction on the BeerBiceps YouTube channel, spoke directly to the persistent questions about the teenager’s age that have circulated globally since his emergence in international cricket.

“Everyone offshore, away from India, asks the question if he’s 15. Is he 15 is probably the biggest talking point around the world. 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,” Brett Lee said on the BeerBiceps YouTube channel.

Why the age debate continues to dominate discussion

Lee highlighted Sooryavanshi’s technical ability and composure against quality bowling. The 49-year-old former pacer praised the teenager’s 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and noted he was hooking Australian bowlers bowling at pace with confidence and skill.

Lee drew on his own experience as a fast bowler to explain why Sooryavanshi’s batting approach impressed him. He explained that when facing a batter willing to play attacking strokes against pace, it becomes a genuine contest between bowler and batter, and Sooryavanshi’s willingness to execute such shots demonstrated his maturity at the crease.

“He has already lit up the IPL in such a short space of time. That 97 he got (vs SRH), he was up against Aussie bowlers. They were bowling gas, and he was hooking them off his nose. 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 added.

The importance of protecting Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s mental space

Lee cautioned against placing excessive pressure on Sooryavanshi, emphasising that his primary challenge will be mental rather than technical.

“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 added.

Sooryavanshi won Player of the Series in India’s 3-0 clean sweep of Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs across three innings. His performances on the tour demonstrated his ability to recover from early setbacks and deliver under pressure at the international level.