India's 15-year-old batting sensation Sooryavanshi makes senior debut against England
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
July 4 : India batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to represent the country after receiving his maiden international cap ahead of Saturday's Twenty20 International against England in Manchester, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record.
The left-hander was presented his cap by teammate Tilak Varma before the start of the match, becoming India's 122nd men's T20 international and its youngest international cricketer at 15 years and 99 days.
India captain Shreyas Iyer said Sooryavanshi had earned his place in the squad and backed the teenager to cope with the demands of international cricket.
"He completely deserves to be in the squad," Iyer said after winning the toss and electing to bat.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
"He's someone who doesn't take pressure at all. Has an unflinching nature. He's very well aware of what's going to come in these coming matches."
Sooryavanshi's debut eclipses one of Indian cricket's most enduring milestones. Tendulkar was 16 when he made his international debut in a test match against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989 before going on to become one of the game's greatest players.
Widely regarded as one of India's brightest prospects, Sooryavanshi earned his first senior call-up after a meteoric rise that began with a blistering 35-ball century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year.
The teenager further enhanced his reputation in this year's IPL, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer with a strike rate of more than 237 and setting a competition record by hitting 72 sixes.
His performances prompted growing calls for a place in the national side, though selectors resisted fast-tracking him and waited until he turned 15 in March before naming him in India's squads for the T20 series in Ireland and England.
Sooryavanshi did not feature in either match against Ireland, remaining on the sidelines as India suffered a shock 2-0 series defeat.
He was handed his opportunity against England in the second match of the five-game series after the opener at Old Trafford ended without a result, leaving the contest level at 0-0.
Sooryavanshi, opening after India elected to bat first, hit Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue for a six each, but was stumped as he tried to charge Will Jacks down the ground, departing for 14 off 10 balls.
England captain Harry Brook had said during the toss that the hosts were prepared for Sooryavanshi's threat.
"Done some homework on Vaibhav, we have some tactical decisions. Just a matter of executing now," Brook said.
Newsletter
Recommended Read
Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read
A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app