NEW DELHI: The wait is finally over. Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Saturday made history by becoming the youngest player ever to represent India.The 15-year-old was handed his first cap for India by Tilak Verma ahead of the second T20I against England at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester on Saturday. In doing so, Sooryavanshi broke the long-standing record held by the great Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut for India against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days.
The prize for a dream IPL season
Sooryavanshi earned his place in the national team after a sensational IPL 2026 campaign. He finished as the IPL 2026 top scorer with 776 runs at an incredible strike rate of 230. He also won the Most Valuable Player and Rising Player awards.
Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise
Born in Tajpur in Bihar’s Samastipur district in 2011, Sooryavanshi made his first-class debut in 2024 when he was just 12 years and 284 days old. Later that year, he was selected in the Indian under-19 squad and grabbed attention with a 58-ball in the youth game against Australia.A few months later, Rajasthan Royals signed him for Rs 1.10 crore in the IPL auction, making him the youngest player in the history of the tournament to get an IPL contract at just 13 years old.Sooryavanshi made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals at the age of 14 years and 23 days against Lucknow Super Giants and announced himself in style by hitting Shardul Thakur for a six off the first ball he faced.Just nine days later, he became the youngest centurion in IPL history after hitting a 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans. The knock was just five deliveries slower than Chris Gayle’s record fastest IPL century.After scoring 252 runs in his debut IPL season, Sooryavanshi has taken his game to a higher level in IPL 2026.He became the first player in IPL history to win the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player and Rising Player awards in the same season. He scored 776 runs in 16 matches, including a record 72 sixes, breaking Chris Gayle’s record for most sixes in a single IPL season, while helping Rajasthan Royals reach the playoffs.
A World Cup hero before his India debut
Even before his record-breaking IPL season, Sooryavanshi was already making a big impact on the international scene.In February, he starred in India’s triumph over England in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup final. He smashed 175 off just 80 balls in the title clash and helped India seal a massive 100-run win. He was named player of the series.After his IPL heroics, Sooryavanshi was picked in the India A team for the three series. He scored 211 runs in five matches at an average of 42.20 and an incredible strike rate of 200.95, including a blistering 94 off just 29 balls in the final, helping India clinch the title with a 66-run win.
