Sooryavanshi scored 14 off 10 balls on his India debut in the Manchester T20I against England.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi received his debut India cap during the second T20I against England at Old Trafford, Manchester on Saturday (July 4).
At 15 years and 99 days, the southpaw broke Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record to become the youngest-ever men’s cricketer to don the Indian jersey. Tendulkar had made his national debut against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days.
Opening the innings, Sooryavanshi scored 14 runs off 10 balls in his maiden international outing, hitting spectacular sixes off premier fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue. The young prodigy was stumped in the fourth over while attempting to charge down the track and take on Will Jacks.
While his score was modest, former India cricketer Parthiv Patel hailed Sooryavanshi’s talent, calling the debut a "huge moment".
Patel noted that the debut shouldn't be defined by a single score, but rather by the player's potential, stating "the sky is the limit" for the teenager.
"The whole cricketing world was waiting for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's debut. He got his chance here in Manchester against England at the age of 15, becoming the youngest player ever to debut for India, breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record. This is a huge moment,” Parthiv told JioStar.
“As a player, you dream of representing your country. And when it happens, it is a surreal feeling. Talking about his knock, he played some good shots and missed a few too, but that's fine. I'm not worried about the 14 runs he managed to score,” he added.
Patel highlighted Sooryavanshi’s stunning six off Archer over fine leg as proof of his extraordinary talent. He expects the Bihar lad to grow into one of India's brightest stars.
"We all saw that flick shot off Jofra Archer; we know what he is capable of. The sky is the limit for him. He is going to score a lot of runs and win a lot of hearts. It's rare to see a player carry so many expectations, but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has done exactly that,” Patel remarked.
India trail the five-T20I series 0-1 after two games. The third T20I will take place at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on Tuesday (July 7).