As the Indian cricket team begin their T20 International campaign in Ireland and England with a two-match series against the Irish in Belfast on Friday, all eyes will be fixed on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The IPL teen sensation has a chance to make history as the youngest Indian player to play international cricket.
If picked for the first game against Ireland on Friday, the 15-year-old will break Sachin Tendulkar’s 36-year-old record — the little master was only 16 when he played his first match for India in 1989.
The team management is unlikely to change the playing eleven which won the T20 World Cup on home soil in March this year.
But two matches in Ireland and five matches in England will offer the think-tank plenty of opportunities to try and give the Rajasthan Royals opener his first India cap.
Having stunned the world with his freakish talent in the IPL, fans and pundits are anxiously waiting to see how the boy from Bihar performs in foreign conditions.
But what will also be interesting to see if Sooryavanshi can keep his cool when he faces sledging from rival players in international cricket.
Recently, in a tri-series, Sooryavanshi was involved in a heated argument with Sri Lanka A fielders, with videos showing him pushing a rival player.
Sooryavanshi escaped sanctions, but former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar said it was a good learning experience for the teen prodigy.
“He is very young, so mistakes can happen in the heat of the moment,” Vengsarkar told the Khaleej Times.
“But as he starts playing international cricket, he will mature. What happened in Sri Lanka was unfortunate, but from what I know, he is a very good boy. There was some provocation from the fielders, and he lost his cool. But this is all part of the game. I am sure he has learned from that incident.”
Top scorer in the IPL 2026 with 776 runs, Sooryavanshi, according to Vengsarkar, can only improve by playing more and more cricket.
“I think the IPL experience will also help him. The pressure in those matches is immense — you are playing against some of the best players in the world,” he said.
“He has shared the dressing room with big stars, so I am sure he has picked up a lot about handling pressure and dealing with sledging. It is a learning process for every youngster, so as he plays more matches, his temperament will improve, and he will understand how to handle difficult situations.”
According to the rules in Ireland and England, Sooryavanshi will not be allowed to share a dressing room with his teammates because he is too young.
Players below the age of 16 are prohibited from sharing the dressing room with adults in England and Ireland, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Indian cricket board had already made a decision to send Sooryavanshi’s parents with him on the tour for the youngster to cope with the demands of international cricket.
“This is the first time the board has allowed parents to travel for an international series. I am sure the BCCI must have thought about it very carefully before taking this decision,” said Vengsarkar.
“Look, he is going to play with the big boys. Until he starts playing for the country at the highest level, he will not fully learn.
“It is a man’s game at the end of the day. I hope the decision to send his parents to help him will work because he is a rare talent.”
Source: Khaleej Times