Team India are expected to hand Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his debut cap in the first T20I against Ireland in Belfast on Friday (June 26).
If the southpaw plays, he will be 15 years and 91 days old, making him younger than Sachin Tendulkar was when he made his international debut against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days.
Sooryavanshi was rewarded with a place in the national side after a remarkable IPL 2026 campaign, where he finished as the Most Valuable Player and Orange Cap winner for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), hammering 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike rate of 237.30.
Amid the hype around Sooryavanshi, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has issued a warning to the teenager, citing that pressure will 'eventually catchup with' him and he'll start seeing cricket more as 'work'.
Speaking during an interview in the USA on Thursday (June 25), Ashwin urged the Bihar lad to ignore critics and enjoy his game like a child in the gully.
“He’s a 15-year-old kid, who I personally believe should have fun playing the game, just like you would in the gullies from his hometown," said Ashwin. “He’s not going to have a lot of long road ahead of him where he’s going to play without pressure. It will eventually catch up, because it will turn into being work, but as of now, I would love for him to have fun and entertain all of us."
“I think he’s special. When you watch someone special, you know it straight away," Ashwin added. “What stood out with Vaibhav was not just the way he’s batted, but it’s also about how he’s been able to make subtle adjustments with respect to some senior bowlers coming after him."
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, including a record 11-ball fifty, paving the way for India A’s title clinching 66-run victory.
