Sooryavanshi Breaks Sachin’s Record to Become India’s Youngest International Debutant, but Not in World Cricket

NEW DELHI, July 4: Indian cricket’s latest poster by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finally made his international debut on Saturday when India vice-captain Tilak Varma handed him the cap in the pre-match team huddle.

His debut begins a new chapter in Indian cricket. At 15 years and 99 days, the boy wonder from Bihar’s Samastipur district became India’s youngest debutant in international cricket, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who had held the record for nearly 37 years.

However, in the world cricket Sooryavanshi is not the youngest international debutant. That distinction belongs to Pakistan’s Hasan Raza. Raza made his Test debut at 14 years and 227 days against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad in 1996. He made his ODI debut at 14 years and 233 days against the same opponents in Quetta. Sooryavanshi is now the second-youngest men’s international debutant. Raza went on to play seven Tests and 16 ODIs. He did leave a big impact.

Sooryavanshi was named in India’s T20I squads for the tours of Ireland and England, as well as for the Asian Games. He became the youngest-ever player to be picked for the Indian national side, breaking a 36-year-old record held by Sachin Tendulkar.

Notably, Sooryavanshi earned his maiden national call-up following a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with the Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties. His explosive season saw him finish as the tournament’s leading run-scorer while smashing a record 72 sixes.

The youngster also swept multiple post-season honours, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes awards. In the recent tri-series in Sri Lanka, featuring Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, Sooryavanshi scored 211 runs in five innings at an average of 42.20 and a strike rate of nearly 201. His best score was 94, with his only fifty coming in the final. He also smashed the fastest fifty in List A cricket, reaching the milestone in just 11 balls against Sri Lanka A.

In eight first-class matches, Sooryavanshi has scored 207 runs at an average of 17.25, with one fifty in 12 innings and a best score of 93. His Youth Test record is better, with 331 runs in six matches and 10 innings at an average of 33.10, including two centuries and one fifty, with a best score of 113. In List A cricket, he has scored 564 runs in 13 matches at an average of 43.38 and a strike rate of 176.80, with one century and two fifties. His highest score is 190.

He is India’s leading run-scorer in Youth ODIs, with 1,412 runs in 25 matches at an average of 56.48 and a strike rate of 165.72. He has scored four centuries and seven fifties, with a highest score of 175.

His first U19 World Cup appearance this year saw him help India win the title while finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 439 runs in seven innings at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate of 169.49. He scored one century and three fifties, with a best score of 175. He also smashed 30 sixes, the most by a batter in the tournament’s history.

In 34 T20 matches, Sooryavanshi has scored 1,477 runs at an average of 44.75 and a strike rate of 220.44, with four centuries and six fifties. So far in his two years of IPL career, Sooryavanshi has scored 1,028 runs in 23 matches at an average of 44.69 and a strike rate of 228.95, with two centuries and six fifties. His highest score is 103, and he has smashed 96 sixes.

(Rohit Kumar)