Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has received his first international call-up by making the India T20 squad to tour England and Ireland.
If he plays, the 15-year-old would break Sachin Tendulkar’s record as the youngest man to play for India. Tendulkar was 16 years and 205 days when he played a one-day international against Pakistan in 1989.
The call-up comes on the back of Sooryavanshi ‘s stunning Indian Premier League campaign, where he scored 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 237.30 for the Rajasthan Royals.
The left-hander was named the IPL’s Most Valuable Player and also picked up the emerging player award and the Orange Cap, given to the highest run-scorer, as well as hitting 72 sixes in the tournament to break West Indies great Chris Gayle’s previous record of 59, set in 2012.
He also scored 175 in February as India beat England in the final of the Under-19 World Cup.
“We’ve seen what he can do, almost single-handedly carrying Rajasthan Royals towards the play-offs,” said selection panel chairman Ajit Agarkar.
“He had a great start and backed it up in a competition that is as competitive and high-pressure. He’s a game-changer. We’ve got high hopes of him. He has picked himself.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he is “in awe” of how Sooryavanshi bats.
“This kid can just deliver when it really matters,” he told BBC Test Match Special.
“We’re studying and watching something very, very, very special. Honestly, at this minute, I think he’s the best T20 player in the world.
“His strike-rates are beyond anything we’ve ever seen. He’s hitting Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball for six, Pat Cummins’ first ball for six, Josh Hazlewood’s first ball for six – so he’s not hitting trundlers.
“He’s damaging the best bowlers in this generation. People are already having huge debates on how to bowl to a 15-year-old.”
India play two matches in Ireland later this month, then five T20s in England in July.
Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has been named as the new captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav, who has been dropped from the squad.
Suryakumar led India to victory at the T20 World Cup in March but the 35-year-old struggled with the bat at the tournament and at the recent IPL.
“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,” Agarkar said explaining Yadav’s omission.
“We thought this was the best way forward.”
Shreyas has not played a T20 international since 2023 but he led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and captained Punjab Kings to a runners-up finish in 2025.
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Hardik Pandya have been rested, with uncapped fast bowler Prince Yadav called up.
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
