Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was handed his debut India cap in 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 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.
After his underwhelming show on India debut, Sooryavanshi was warned about the challenges of international cricket by former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.
"The jitters have just started for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The first one is the easiest one. It gets harder with time and with every innings. The talent is obiously there but the one test he'll be put through is his mentality. But if you give him the freedom and then runaway, you'll get success," Nayar said on Star Sports.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become the toast of the nation for his record-breaking performances 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.
Nayar reckons Sooryavanshi’s rise to stardom at such a young age has created a "nightmare" for other teens in the country.
"I feel for all the other 15-year-olds in India as their parents must be sitting on the couches and asking them, 'What are you doing here? Look at what Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is doing for Team India'. So I am sure it's a nightmare for the other 15-year-olds. At 15, the one advantage he has is there is no baggage. You have the freedom not to think as a 15-year-old," Nayar remarked.
"The more he plays, the more baggage he'll carry from the outside expectations to your own. Even now, it'll be hard for him to express himself freely because when he goes back, there will be congratulatory calls and messages. So he has to now live that and the ecosystem the Indian support staff creates for him will be vital," he concluded.
