The parallels between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sachin Tendulkar continue to grow more fascinating with each passing day. Both are prodigies. Both earned India call-ups as teenagers. And now, with Sooryavanshi on the verge of becoming India’s youngest-ever international debutant at just 15, another intriguing Sachin connection has emerged ahead of the youngster’s first senior tour.
According to a report by The Guardian on Wednesday, Sooryavanshi will have to follow special dressing-room arrangements during India’s upcoming white-ball tour of England and Ireland due to ECB safeguarding regulations for players under the age of 16.
Under the rules, the teenage batter will be required to use a dressing room separate from the rest of the Indian squad while changing. He will, however, be allowed to join the main dressing room during matches and team meetings. Alternatively, he can use the shared dressing room only after the senior players have finished changing.
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The regulations will also apply during India’s two-match T20I series in Ireland, which begins on June 26. According to ESPNcricinfo, the visiting team has been allocated three separate rooms at the Civil Service Cricket Ground in Stormont and has already been briefed on the safeguarding requirements.
“This is an ICC event, with their safeguarding procedures active as they have jurisdiction,” an ECB spokesperson said.
“In addition to this, the ECB Safe Hands policy applies at all times. The Cricket Regulator is in contact with the Team Liaison Officer (TLO) for the Indian team to discuss requirements and expectations for the player while he is in the UK.
“Each County Safeguarding Officer for the relevant venue is also working closely with the Team Liaison Officer to ensure venue protocols and arrangements are understood and adhered to. This is conducted via safeguarding risk assessments.”
The spokesperson added that Sooryavanshi’s parents are expected to travel with him throughout the tour.
“It is our understanding that the player’s parents will be travelling with him at all times. They are staying in the same hotel, which is outside of usual protocol, but agreed on this occasion due to his age. This additional measure provides us with further confidence that he has family members who can provide the necessary support and care.”
The Sachin Tendulkar parallel
The arrangement immediately brought back memories of a little-known chapter from Tendulkar’s teenage years.
As revealed in a clip shared by ESPNcricinfo, anyone under the age of 18 was not permitted to enter the Cricket Club of India (CCI) clubhouse in the 1980s. The clubhouse housed the dressing rooms used by players.
Tendulkar was only 15 when he was selected to play for CCI, creating a unique problem for the club. An exception had to be made to allow the future legend access to the dressing room facilities. It is believed that Tendulkar remains the only cricketer for whom the rule was ever relaxed.
More than three decades later, another teenage prodigy finds himself navigating an unusual off-field situation before making his mark on the international stage.
All eyes will be on Sooryavanshi when India begin their tour. The teenager forced his way into the national reckoning after a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign and further strengthened his credentials by smashing a sensational 29-ball 94 in the tri-nation one-day final in Dambulla, helping India A defeat Sri Lanka A and lift the title.
If selected, Sooryavanshi will not only make his India debut in England or Ireland, he will also eclipse Tendulkar’s long-standing record as the youngest player to represent India in international cricket.
