Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is headed to England, but he won’t be alone. Besides the travelling Indian contingent, the 15-year-old will be accompanied by his parents after the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) made a special provision in the youngster’s best interest.
The decision-makers fully understand the challenges of integrating someone so young into the senior setup and have therefore decided to send Sooryavanshi’s parents along to ensure he does not face any difficulties in acclimatising to foreign conditions. The development was confirmed to Hindustan Times Digital by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
“He was selected to go with the senior team from the India A team to Sri Lanka. As he is a small child, he is still a minor. Earlier, he was travelling with his contemporaries. U19 World Cup and all. Those are all his age group. A little bit one year up or down, or about the same. But when he is travelling with the men’s team, who are all adults, therefore, we deem it proper that his parents or anybody from the family can travel with him to Sri Lanka,” Saikia told HT Digital.
“Today, he got picked for the senior team. We will make a request to his parents. If they are willing to go, then they can go. In fact, his father is travelling to Sri Lanka tomorrow. That is our thing. And after that, if his parents also wish to go to England, BCCI will support that because he is a kid. So, he would need some time to assimilate with the senior boys. So, from that perspective, we are helping. This is not something we allow all parents to do. It is not that, but because he is 15 years old, he should feel comfortable, and he should take some time to adjust to the adult world.”
Sooryavanshi, currently in Sri Lanka with the India A squad for the tri-nation series against Sri Lanka A, is set to receive a further boost on Sunday with his father joining him.
Sooryavanshi continues to go from strength to strength. A fantastic Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign with the Rajasthan Royals saw him amass 776 runs in 16 matches at a staggering strike rate of 237.31. The sensational run was rewarded on Saturday when the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee picked him in India’s T20I squads for the series against Ireland and England, as well as for the Asian Games. The left-hander broke Sachin Tendulkar’s 36-year-old record by earning a place in India’s squad and is now in line to become the youngest player ever to represent the country.
The year has unfolded spectacularly for the teenage prodigy. He first smashed 175 in the Under-19 World Cup final against England to help India lift the title before taking the IPL by storm. His exploits earned him multiple accolades, including the Orange Cap and the Most Valuable Player award.
Sooryavanshi’s performances forced Agarkar to pick him
Sooryavanshi’s blitzkrieg was so extraordinary that it drew praise from both Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. During the squad announcement on Saturday, chairman of selectors Agarkar revealed that Sooryavanshi’s performances left the committee with little choice but to include him in India’s upcoming T20I assignments.
“I think he has just picked himself, really. With his performances, he has almost forced us to pick him with how well he has played. For a young kid… I don’t need to talk about how well he is playing. And it’s not just this season. He obviously had a great start [to his IPL career] last season,” Agarkar said.
“And to back it up for a young kid in a competition that’s as competitive and has a high-pressure environment, and how explosive he can be and a game-changer that he can be. Like everyone else who has watched T20 cricket in India, we have high hopes of him,” he added.
