Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his India debut in the second T20I against England at Old Trafford.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made history on Saturday (July 4) by making his international debut in the second T20I against England at Old Trafford.
At just 15 years and 99 days old, the southpaw broke Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record as the youngest-ever Indian to debut in men’s international cricket.
In his brief stay at the crease, Sooryavanshi showed glimpses of his explosive talent by hitting two sixes before being stumped for 14 runs off 10 balls.
Speaking to ANI, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla congratulated the teenager on becoming India's youngest international cricketer.
Shukla stressed that BCCI gives opportunities based on merit, dismissing social media claims that Sooryavanshi was being unfairly overlooked. He also expressed confidence that the young prodigy would perform well and establish himself in the team.
"Huge congratulations to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on his debut and for receiving this opportunity. The BCCI does not treat anyone unfairly; those who deserve it get their chance. There was a lot of uproar on social media claiming that opportunities weren't being given; people were criticising both the coach and the captain. But that wasn't the case. I had said just the other day that when the right moment arrived, he would certainly get his chance, and yesterday, he did. I believe he will perform well in the future and truly come into his own. It is an excellent decision by the team management, and we should appreciate it," Shukla said.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become the toast of the nation for his record-breaking exploits this year. The teenage sensation earned the Player-of-the-Tournament award at the start of the year, helping India clinch their record-extending sixth ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup title.
Sooryavanshi carried his stunning form into the IPL 2026. Playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR), he won the Orange Cap and was named the Most Valuable Player for scoring 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including one hundred, five half-centuries and a record 72 sixes in an IPL season.
Before travelling to UK with the T20I squad, Sooryavanshi represented India A in a tri-nation A series in Sri Lanka. He registered modest scores of 14, 44, 21 and 38 during the round-robin stage, but lit up the final with a knock of 29-ball 94 against Sri Lanka A, including a record 11-ball fifty, paving the way for India A’s title clinching 66-run victory.
The Bihar lad warmed the bench for first three matches on the tour of UK, with the Indian team management sticking with the T20 World Cup-winning opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. However, Samson’s string of low scores paved the way for Sooryavanshi’s selection in the Manchester T20I against England.