Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s performances in the IPL 2026 so far has accelerated talks of the youngster to be called up to India. And with India set to tour Ireland for a two-match T20I series immediately after the IPL, Sooryavanshi could be in line for not only his first India call-up but also an India cap, making him India’s youngest debutant.At 15, the left-hander has already developed a reputation for taking on established names. If selected, he could become the youngest debutant in the history of Indian cricket. The current record is held by Shafali Verma who made her debut at 15 years, seven months and 27 days. Among men, the record is held by Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days.
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Yashasvi Jaiswal reveals the mood in the RR dressing room after their third straight win Add to that the fact that many prominent figures in the Indian cricketing ecosystem have given their approval to the youngster, it only adds weight to the matter. Last week, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, impressed with the youngster’s performances, declared that he deserves to become India’s youngest debutant.“What an amazing display of batting from Vaibhav Suryavanshi this season @IPL 2026. This prodigy definitely deserves to debut in India team @BCCI as the youngest considering his performances,” Dhumal wrote on his X handle.“It is rare that you get a chance to pick up someone so talented and also so young. He certainly deserves to have his name recorded as India’s youngest debutant,” he added.Former India players Mohammad Kaif and Piyush Chawla also echoed Dhumal’s views“Last season I thought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was getting hyped too soon,” Kaif wrote on X.“An old cricketer, I believe there should be no rush with fast developing young players. But a year later I think he is ready to step up to the next level. A 15-year-old can entertain and play winning shots.”While Chawla stated, “If he’s going to play like this, I’d like to see him fast track,” the former leg-spinner told the ESPNcricinfo website. In the last year under 19 domestic…no matter what he played, he went there and scored hundreds of goals. And it’s not just hundreds, he gave big hundreds.’However, such a decision is easier said than done. With a number of strong competitors vying for a spot in India’s T20I set-up and adding that the current squad itself is one of the strongest, Sooryavanshi’s entry may not be so straightforward.Former India international Ambati Rayudu feels breaking into the T20 team that successfully defended their World Cup title earlier this month would not be an easy task for the budding teenager.“Remember, our Indian team is a world champion team. They have won the T20 World Cup. So replacing someone in this side is not easy,” Rayudu said during the ESPN Cricinfo show.“For me there are a few players ahead of him at the moment because you tend to pick and build your squads before the next ICC competition.”Former Indian cricketer R Ashwin also felt that quick Sooryavanshi may not be a must as the youngster has age on his side.He is too good not to play for India. He’s going to play anyway. When will he play? We may have to wait a while for that. Why are we still rushing?” Ashwin said while speaking on his YouTube channel.For now, however, an Indian debut remains a possibility and his start in IPL 2026 has brought it closer. But lest I forget, more than half of this season still remains and with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya and even Shubman Gill, the 15-year-old still faces competition for that India spot.Sooryavanshi has scored some crucial innings in the IPL this season, including 78 off 26 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 52 off 17 against Chennai Super Kings and 39 off 14 against Mumbai Indians.His performances have met with bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood.He was also part of India’s U19 World Cup campaign earlier.India are scheduled to play a T20I series in Ireland at the end of June, with matches scheduled for June 26 and 28.
