Earlier this month, teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made history by earning his maiden senior national call-up to India's T20I squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as for the 2026 Asian Games.
At 15 years and 71 days old, Sooryavanshi shattered Sachin Tendulkar's 36-year-old record to become the youngest-ever player selected to a senior Indian squad.
His selection comes directly on the back of a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign where he finished as the Most Valuable Player and Orange Cap winner for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), hammering 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30. Along the way, he dominated high-profile bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.
With India’s two-T20I series against Ireland set to begin on June 26 in Belfast, Sooryavanshi stands on the cusp of becoming the youngest debutant for India.
Currently, Tendulkar holds the record, having made his international debut at the age of 16 against Pakistan on November 15, 1989.
Ahead of the Ireland series, legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev acknowledged Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary talent but emphasized that fans and experts should not put excessive pressure on the youngster so early in his international journey.
“Vaibhav is too young. But yes he is a special talent and full stop. He is a 16-year-old kid and everything he has is only cricket. Once he reaches 20-22, we will judge. But no doubt his talent is extraordinary. He is like Sachin at the age of 16 but can he play that long? He had to go a long way,” Kapil told The Indian Express.
When asked to share a message for Sooryavanshi, Kapil offered his well-wishes to the Indian team. “I should say good luck to the Indian team. It’s not just to him but to the whole Indian team and every player. And he is part of that,” he added.
Sooryavanshi has landed in Ireland on the back of a strong performance in the tri-nation A series final for India A against Sri Lanka A on Sunday (June 21).
After registering modest scores of 14, 44, 21 and 38 during the round-robin stage, Sooryavanshi lit up the summit clash with a knock of 29-ball 94, paving the way for India A’s title clinching 66-run victory.
