NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise in cricket continues to attract attention. The 15-year-old batting sensation from Bihar, who recently got his first call-up to the Indian team, is set to travel with the team for the upcoming tour of England. If selected for the first T20I against Ireland in Belfast on Friday, he could become India’s youngest international cricketer, breaking the record currently held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.India will play two T20Is against Ireland before taking on England in a five-match T20I series starting next week in Durham.According to a report by The Guardian, Sooryavanshi will have to use a separate dressing room throughout the tour due to safety regulations. ICC rules, along with ECB rules, do not allow players under the age of 16 to share dressing rooms with adult players.As a result, special arrangements will be made in each place, and the ECB will cooperate with them BCCI to ensure compliance with all protocols. Sooryavanshi’s parents are also expected to be with him during the tour and stay in the same hotel as the team, an exception reportedly granted due to his age.“This is an ICC event, with their safeguarding procedures active as they have jurisdiction. Safeguarding concerns that occur during the event may, in some circumstances, be addressed by the ICC. In addition, the ECB’s safe hands policy applies at all times. The cricket regulator is in contact with the Indian team’s liaison team to discuss the requirements and expectations for the player while in the UK,” the ECB told The. guard.“Each District Protection Officer for the relevant cricket venue also works closely with the Team Liaison Officer to ensure that venue protocols and arrangements, particularly the dressing room environment, are understood and adhered to. This is carried out through a Protection Risk Assessment. It is our understanding that the player’s parents will be traveling with him at all times. They are staying in the same hotel, which is outside of normal protocol but agreed on this occasion due to their age. This additional measure gives us additional confidence that he has family members who can provide him with an additional level of support and care,” the ECB added.Separate changing rooms for athletes under the age of 16 are standard practice in English sport. However, no such rule appears to exist in India, where Sooryavanshi shared premises with his Rajasthan Royals teammates during his IPL seasons.
