The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Saturday that 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been selected for India's upcoming Twenty20 international series against Ireland and England.
Sooryavanshi joins the squad after a breakout Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign where he topped the scoring charts with 776 runs, including a century and five half-centuries in 16 matches. The left-handed opener also broke Chris Gayle's record for most sixes in a season.
His performances for the Rajasthan Royals made him the first player in IPL history to be named both Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Emerging Player, with many tipping him for a senior T20I spot.
Should Sooryavanshi debut against Ireland or England, he would become the youngest player to represent an Indian men's senior team, surpassing the great Sachin Tendulkar, who debuted at 16.
Selection panel chairman Ajit Agarkar told reporters: "We've seen what he can do; towards the playoffs, he almost single-handedly carried Rajasthan Royals. He had a great start and backed it up in a competitive, high-pressure competition. He's a game-changer. We've got high hopes for him, and he has picked himself."
Agarkar added that Shreyas Iyer, who replaces Suryakumar Yadav as captain, was appointed after leading Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024. Iyer also captained Punjab Kings to a runners-up finish in 2025 and into the playoffs this year.
Suryakumar Yadav lost the captaincy due to poor form. The 35-year-old scored just 242 runs in nine innings at the T20 World Cup, with his unbeaten 84 against the USA being the only significant knock. In the IPL for Mumbai Indians, he managed only 270 runs in 13 innings at an average of 20.76.
Agarkar said: "It's a tough one (to remove Suryakumar), having just won the World Cup, but as happens after most World Cups, you reassess your best way forward. We thought this was the best way forward."
India will play two T20Is against Ireland later this month, followed by a five-match series against England in July. The BCCI also named the squad for the Asian Games in Japan, including veteran bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
Source: www.aljazeera.com