Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could be in line to make his senior India debut soon, having been picked in India’s T20I squads for the upcoming series against Ireland and England.
The 15-year-old sensation is the talk of the town after his incredible IPL 2026 campaign, where he slammed 776 runs at a strike-rate of 237, becoming the youngest player ever to win the ‘Most Valuable Player’ (MVP) award. The frenzy has also seemingly crossed over to the United Kingdom already, with Sooryavanshi making headlines in English newspapers and his impending India debut expected to increase ticket sales.
Speaking on a Sky Sports Cricket show, former England captain Michael Atherton showcased how newspapers in England are already hyping up Sooryavanshi’s arrival.
“There’s going to be a media frenzy,” Atherton said, speaking on the 15-year-old coming to England as part of India’s tour.
“I imagine the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) will be delighted as well, because that could shift a few more tickets,” replied journalist Elizabeth Ammon.
“You need to have the intent, you need to have a free bat-swing, you need to have eyes like a hawk to middle it as often as he does. It’s astonishing,” said former England cricketer Mark Butcher.
India’s tour of Ireland and England kicks off June 26. India will play Ireland in two T20Is, and then face England in five further T20Is.
Whether Sooryavanshi is able to break into India’s excellent T20 World Cup 2026-winning top order will be something to keep an eye on. Abhishek Sharma is the No. 1-ranked T20I batter in the world, Sanju Samson was the ‘Player of the Tournament’ at the T20 World Cup, and Ishan Kishan has enjoyed superlative seasons at both the World Cup and the IPL.
If Sooryavanshi does make his debut in India’s tour of Ireland and England, he will beat Sachin Tendulkar’s record of being the youngest Indian international debutant.