Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi claims that being chosen for the Indian T20 team is the “biggest step” in his early career and that he is at a loss for words.
The 15-year-old’s outstanding performance in the IPL 2026, when he hit 776 runs for Rajasthan Royals at a strike-rate of over 230, led to his inclusion in the India squad for the tours of Ireland and England beginning on June 26.
“Words can’t explain it. The reason I picked up a bat from day one and went to the cricket ground for practice, and today that dream is fulfilled. The biggest step in the journey was completed today. I truly cannot put this feeling into words,” Sooryavanshi said in a brief video posted by BCCI on its social media handles.
Sooryavanshi began his cricket career in the modest Bihar town of Samastipur and rose to prominence in the 2025 Indian Premier League after racking up a century against the Gujarat Titans. With his 38-ball 101 against Gujarat on April 28, 2025, he became the youngest centurion in T20 cricket at the age of 14 years and 32 days.
The left-hander may now make his national debut on June 26 or 28 against Ireland in Belfast. Sooryavanshi could exceed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 16 years and 205 days to become India’s youngest-ever international cricket player if he plays against either Ireland or England at the age of 15.
According to Sooryavanshi, he treasured the moment he opened his India T-shirt and saw his name printed on the back. “I just felt it like a dream, the moment I saw that T-shirt. I couldn’t stop smiling. Sometimes, something happens that you never even imagined could happen and when it finally does, you don’t know how to react. That’s what exactly I felt,” he beamed.
