On April 19, 2026, legendary Australian captain Allan Border returned to Eden Gardens in Kolkata for the first time since leading Australia to their maiden World Cup victory there in 1987. Border performed the tradition of ringing the Eden bell to signal the start of the IPL 2026 match between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).He was joined by former Indian captain and current CAB President Sourav Ganguly for the ceremony.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) felicitated Border with a special souvenir to honour his legacy and his role in the 1987 final.Border shared that returning to the venue felt "ridiculous" as the memories of 1987 did not feel that far away.He specifically recalled the 95,000-strong crowd from the '87 final and the meticulous preparation under coach Bob Simpson.
When two cricketing greats come together! 🤝 Sourav Ganguly, President of CAB, meets Australian cricket legend Allan Border. A timeless moment of leadership, legacy, and pure cricketing class at the iconic Eden Gardens. 🏏✨#CAB #SouravGanguly #AllanBorder #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/MmB53q0qFV
— CABCricket (@CabCricket) April 19, 2026
Allan Border talks about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's resemblance with Brian Lara
Former Australian captain Allan Border recently lauded young Indian sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, explicitly comparing his "flair" and "beautiful bat swing" to that of West Indies legend Brian Lara. Speaking at Eden Gardens in April 2026, Border highlighted several specific traits that remind him of Lara. Border noted that Sooryavanshi possesses a level of flair similar to Lara, which is rare for a player of his age.He described Sooryavanshi's bat swing as "beautiful" and remarked on how hard the 15-year-old hits the ball.
While acknowledging the similarity in style, Border observed that Sooryavanshi stands "very still and very upright," a solid foundation he believes could translate well to Test cricket.Border called the teenager "something special," emphasizing that he is "just a boy" now and will be a formidable player once he fully grows into his talent.
“I think Vaibhav's a hell of a player. He has got a bit of (Brian) Lara in terms of flair. He's going to make mistakes as a 15-year-old”, the legendary player said.
The parallels between Sooryavanshi and Brian Lara have become a major talking point in cricket circles. Like Lara, Sooryavanshi has an unconventional high backlift that moves away from the body, allowing for significant bat speed and "whip" through the ball.
