NEW DELHI: All eyes will be on 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi when India take on Ireland in the first match of the two-match T20I series in Belfast on Friday.The teenage batsman sensation has become one of the biggest talking points in world cricket and fans are eagerly waiting to see if he makes his debut in India. If he gets the game, Sooryavanshi will create history by becoming the youngest player to represent India in men’s international cricket.
Sooryavanshi’s remarkable rise
Sooryavanshi earned his first senior call-up after an impressive IPL season in 2026. Playing for Rajasthan Royals, he scored 776 runs in 16 innings at an incredible strike rate of 237. He also smashed 72 sixes, setting a new record for most sixes in a single IPL season.The youngster took his form to India’s A tri-series in Sri Lanka. In the one-day final against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla, he smashed 94 off just 29 balls, showing once again why he is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the game.
An opportunity for a breakdown Sachin Tendulkar record
At 15 years and 71 days, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player ever to be selected in the Indian senior men’s team, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 36 years.Tendulkar made his international debut in 1989 against Pakistan at the age of 16 years and 205 days. If Sooryavanshi is included in the playing XI against Ireland, he will surpass the batting legend to become India’s youngest international cricketer.
‘Words can’t explain it’: Sooryavanshi
Speaking after getting his first call-up for India, Sooryavanshi described wearing the Indian jersey as a dream come true.“Words can’t explain it. The reason why I picked up the bat from day one and went to the training ground: that dream has now been fulfilled. The biggest step on that path has been completed today. “I really can’t put this feeling into words,” he said in a video shared by the BCCI.The teenager admitted that he was beside himself when he saw the India jersey for the first time.“I felt like I was in a dream when I saw that shirt; I couldn’t stop laughing. Sometimes things happen that you never imagined could happen. When it finally happens, you don’t know how to react. That’s exactly how I felt,” he added.
Will the wait end in Belfast?
Whether it debuts on Friday or later in the series, the excitement around Sooryavanshi continues to grow. For now, the biggest question ahead of India’s clash against Ireland remains the same: Will the 15-year-old get his first cap for India?
India vs Ireland T20Is: Determine
India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Suryansh Shedge, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.Ireland: Lorcan Tucker (Captain), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Stephen Doheny, Matthew Humphreys, Gavin Hoey, Matthew Hollard, Liam McCarthy, Jai Moondra, Harry Tector, Tim Tector, Reuben Wilson.
