Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Saturday (June 6) 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.

Speaking to India Today, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar urged the Indian team management to play Sooryavanshi in the T20I series against Ireland, even if it means leaving out one of their established openers.

"I'll pick him for the Ireland T20Is for sure. I'd like to see him play in the Ireland T20Is," Gavaskar said.

"Give him a chance ahead of, say, maybe Sanju Samson or Abhishek Sharma. Maybe in one match Abhishek Sharma is left out. In another match, Sanju Samson is left out."

Gavaskar emphasized that Sooryavanshi's inclusion was fully justified after the youngster took the IPL 2026 season by storm.

"Well, it was expected, wasn't it? Look at the form that he was in. Look at the number of runs that he scored. How could you leave him out of the squad after that?" Gavaskar said.

"You've got to reward performance, and I think that's what they've done," he further stated.

According to Gavaskar, simply traveling with the senior team and getting exposed to international cricket early will greatly aid Sooryavanshi's long-term development.

"So whether he gets to play matches, we'll have to wait and see. But whatever it is, for him to be in that Indian dressing room will be a great learning experience as well, which will serve him in good stead as his career takes off," Gavaskar remarked.

As Sooryavanshi prepares for his maiden series with India’s senior men’s team in UK, the BCCI will allow his parents to accompany him on tour.

“As he is a child, we have decided to allow his parents to accompany him to Ireland and England, so that they can be with him and help him settle in the new environment. The Board will cover all their expenses,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said while speaking to Sportstar.

This protective measure mirrors how Sachin Tendulkar’s elder brother, Ajit, accompanied him during his historic debut tour to Pakistan as a 16-year-old in 1989.