Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, Earns Historic First India T20 Call-Up

Teen Prodigy Sooryavanshi Named in India's T20 Squad

Fifteen-year-old batting phenomenon Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been handed his first international call-up, earning a place in India's T20 squad set to tour England and Ireland. The selection marks a historic moment in Indian cricket, as the youngster stands on the verge of rewriting the record books.

A Record-Breaking Opportunity

Should Sooryavanshi take the field during the tour, he would become the youngest player ever to represent India, surpassing a milestone held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar was 16 years and 205 days old when he made his international debut against Pakistan in a one-day international back in 1989 — a record that has stood for over three decades.

IPL Heroics Seal the Deal

Sooryavanshi's meteoric rise to the national setup has been fueled by an extraordinary Indian Premier League campaign with the Rajasthan Royals. The left-handed batter amassed 776 runs across 16 innings, doing so at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 237.30. His explosive performances earned him the IPL's Most Valuable Player award, the Orange Cap as the tournament's leading run-scorer, and the Emerging Player of the Year honour.

His brilliance was not confined to the IPL alone. In February, Sooryavanshi contributed a stunning 175 as India triumphed over England in the Under-19 World Cup final.

Selection Panel Full of Praise

India's selection panel chairman Ajit Agarkar was effusive in his praise for the teenager, highlighting just how naturally he has stood out among his peers.

"We've seen what he can do, almost single-handedly carrying Rajasthan Royals towards the play-offs," Agarkar said. "He had a great start and backed it up in a competition that is as competitive and high-pressure as it gets. He's a game-changer. We've got high hopes for him. He has picked himself."

Shreyas Iyer Handed Captaincy

Alongside Sooryavanshi's landmark inclusion, the squad announcement also brought a significant leadership change. Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as India's new T20 captain, taking over from Suryakumar Yadav, who has been dropped from the squad entirely.

Yadav guided India to T20 World Cup glory in March, but the 35-year-old endured a difficult run with the bat both at the tournament and throughout the recent IPL season. Agarkar acknowledged the difficulty of the decision.

"It's a tough one, having just won the World Cup, but as happens after most World Cups, you try to reassess what your best way forward is," he explained. "We thought this was the best way forward."

Iyer himself has not featured in T20 international cricket since 2023, but he demonstrated his leadership qualities by steering the Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and guiding Punjab Kings to a runners-up finish in 2025.

Key Absentees and Fresh Faces

Star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and versatile all-rounder Hardik Pandya have both been rested for the tour. Their absence opens the door for uncapped pace bowler Prince Yadav, who receives his maiden call-up.

India are scheduled to play two T20 internationals in Ireland later this month before heading to England for a five-match T20 series in July.

Full Squad

Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi