Fifteen-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is likely to earn a spot on India's T20 squad for upcoming matches in Ireland and England. Selectors are expected to finalize the decision at a meeting in Mumbai this weekend.
Sooryavanshi made a stunning impression at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 while playing for Rajasthan Royals. He leads the run-scoring charts with 776 runs, including a century and five half-centuries. In recognition of his achievements, he has claimed the Player of the Tournament award, the Orange Cap, and the Emerging Player of the Season honor.
If selected, Sooryavanshi would become the youngest debutant in Indian national team history, surpassing the previous record held by legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who debuted in Tests at 16 years and 205 days in 1989. He is also among the 30 probables for the Asian Games scheduled for September-October in Japan.
While Sooryavanshi's future shines bright, current captain Suryakumar Yadav faces the possibility of being dropped from the T20 lineup. Just three months after leading India to a T20 World Cup victory on home soil, Suryakumar's form has declined sharply. During the World Cup he scored only 242 runs in nine innings, with his unbeaten 84 against the United States being the sole highlight. In IPL 2025, he managed just 270 runs in 13 innings (averaging 20.76), as his team Mumbai Indians finished ninth in the 10-team standings.
Indian media predict Suryakumar will be replaced by Shreyas Iyer, a player who won the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders and finished runner-up with Punjab Kings. Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma are also contenders for the captaincy role.
