Too young for the locker room? Sooryavanshi’s UK tour comes with a twist
India’s first teenage cricket sensation since Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s first tour with Sachin Tendulkar’s senior national team will come with unparalleled fitness off the field. The 15-year-old prodigy will have to use separate changing rooms from his teammates during India’s white-ball tour of England this summer as part of safety regulations.
The measure, reported by The Guardian, builds on child protection policies in place during ICC-sanctioned events involving players under the age of 16.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that the measures are being implemented in line with the protective guidelines in place during the series.
“This is an ICC event whose safeguard procedures are active because they have jurisdiction,” the ECB said in a statement to The Guardian. “The protection that occurs during the event may (under certain circumstances) be governed by the ICC. In addition, the ECB’s Safe Hands policy always applies.”
This was also confirmed by the ECB support mechanisms were agreed due to Sooryavanshi’s age. “We understand that the player’s parents will be traveling with him at all times. They are staying at the same hotel which is outside of the usual protocol, but they agreed on this occasion due to his age. This additional measure gives us further assurance that he has family members who can provide him with another level of support and care.”
The guarantees do not affect Sooryavanshi’s participation in team activities. He will continue to have full access to the Indian dressing room during matches, attend team meetings and take part in all cricket-related preparations. The restriction only applies if players rotate before and after matches.
WHY DO SOORYAVANSHI HAVE TO USE SEPARATE DRESSING ROOMS?
The England series falls under the jurisdiction of the International Cricket Council, meaning that the ICC’s safeguarding protocols will be applied alongside the ECB’s own childcare policies. Both governing bodies prohibit players under the age of 16 from using adult dressing rooms, necessitating separate facilities for Sooryavanshi at all venues during the tour.
While these measures are standard practice in English sport, they will be a new experience for the youngster. Last season, Arsenal academy player Max Dowman also had to use separate changing rooms until he turned 16. However, similar rules do not apply in Indian domestic cricket or the Indian Premier League.
During two seasons with Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier LeagueSooryavanshi shared dressing room facilities with senior teammates without such restrictions.
The ECB is working closely with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the host venues to ensure that all safeguarding requirements are met during the tour.
SET TO BREAK TENDULKAR’S RECORD
Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise has made him one of the most talked about young cricketers in the world.
After bursting onto the scene as a 14-year-old in the IPL, he scored 252 runs at 206.5 in his debut campaign for Rajasthan Royals, including the fastest century by a teenager in men’s T20 cricket – a remarkable hundred off just 38 deliveries. He increased those numbers further this season, finishing as the leading run-scorer in the IPL with 776 runs. The youngster also broke legendary Chris Gayle’s long-standing record of sixes in a single IPL season as he smashed 65 maximums. Sooryavanshi won numerous awards during IPL 2026 (Photo Reuters)
His preparation for international cricket was equally impressive. Representing India And earlier this month, Sooryavanshi made 94 off just 29 balls against Sri Lanka A in the final of the tri-nation series, an innings that included the fastest List A half-century in history, achieved in just 11 deliveries.
Sooryavanshi is now expected to become India’s youngest international cricketer when he takes the field in the opening T20I against Ireland on Friday in Belfast. The teenager would also become the youngest batsman to make his international debut for India.
The current record is held by Sachin Tendulkar, who made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days.
India will play two T20Is against Ireland before traveling to England for a five-match T20I series starting next week in Durham. The safeguard rules are not expected to apply in Belfast as matches in Ireland fall under the jurisdiction of Cricket Ireland rather than the ICC events that govern the England series.
For a player already drawing comparisons with Tendulkar, the England tour will be another milestone in a career that seems to be accelerating at an unprecedented rate.
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Published on:
June 24, 2026 5:36 PM IST