Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finally debuts for India in T20I vs Ireland in Belfast, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record as youngest India international.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has broken Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record, becoming the youngest male cricketer to make a debut for India in international cricket, doing so at the tender age of 15 years and 99 days. The Bihar teenager was given his debut cap for the second T20I against England in Manchester.
Tendulkar made his Test debut in 1989 — against Pakistan in Karachi — at the age of 16 years and 205 days, which makes Sooryavanshi the first 15-year-old to play for the Men in Blue.
Sooryavanshi got his debut cap from Tilak Varma at the Old Trafford cricket ground. He replaced senior opener Sanju Samson in the playing 11 and will take the top-order spot alongside Abhishek Sharma.
Youngest debuts for India in international cricket:
| Rank | Player | Format | Age on Debut | Opposition | Venue | Debut Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | T20I | 15y 99d | England | Manchester | 4 July 2026 |
| 2 | Sachin Tendulkar | Test | 16y 205d | Pakistan | Karachi | 15 November 1989 |
| 3 | Sachin Tendulkar | ODI | 16y 238d | Pakistan | Gujranwala | 18 December 1989 |
| 4 | Piyush Chawla | Test | 17y 75d | England | Mohali | 9 March 2006 |
| 5 | Laxman Sivaramakrishnan | Test | 17y 118d | West Indies | St John’s | 28 April 1983 |
| 6 | Parthiv Patel | Test | 17y 152d | England | Nottingham | 8 August 2002 |
| 7 | Maninder Singh | Test | 17y 193d | Pakistan | Karachi | 23 December 1982 |
| 8 | Maninder Singh | ODI | 17y 222d | Pakistan | Karachi | 21 January 1983 |
| 9 | Harbhajan Singh | Test | 17y 265d | Australia | Bengaluru | 25 March 1998 |
| 10 | Vijay Mehra | Test | 17y 265d | New Zealand | Brabourne | 2 December 1955 |
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s stunning rise
Sooryavanshi’s ascent represents a remarkable breakthrough in modern sports. The left-handed prodigy from Bihar first gained national attention by making his Ranji Trophy debut at twelve. His trajectory accelerated when the Rajasthan Royals secured him for the 2025 Indian Premier League.
Debuting at fourteen, he immediately broke records, becoming the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket with a thirty-five-ball century against the Gujarat Titans. The subsequent year solidified his status as a generational talent.