The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on June 6 announced the call-up of 15-year-old batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the upcoming T20 international series against Ireland and England.
Sooryavanshi emerged as a phenomenon at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 while playing for Rajasthan Royals. He topped the run-scoring charts with 776 runs, including a century and five half-centuries in 16 matches. The left-handed batsman also shattered Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL season.
With his outstanding performances, Sooryavanshi became the first player in IPL history to win both the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the Emerging Player of the Year awards. Many experts had predicted his early entry into the national squad.
Selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar told reporters: "We have seen what he has done, almost single-handedly taking Rajasthan Royals to the playoffs. Not just this season — he had a great start and maintained his form in a competitive, high-pressure tournament. He is a game-changer. We have high expectations, and he has earned his place."
If Sooryavanshi makes his debut in the series against Ireland or England, he will become the youngest player to represent the Indian men's national team, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of debuting at age 16.
The T20 squad for the Ireland and England series also sees the return of Shreyas Iyer as the new captain, replacing Suryakumar Yadav. Agarkar explained: "It's difficult to drop Suryakumar after winning a World Cup, but after most World Cups, you have to reassess the best direction forward. We believe this is the right move."
Suryakumar Yadav, 35, managed just 242 runs in nine innings at the T20 World Cup 2026 (where India won the title) and 270 runs in 13 innings in this IPL season for Mumbai Indians. In contrast, Iyer previously led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title and guided Punjab Kings to a runners-up finish in 2025.
India will play two T20s against Ireland in late June, followed by a five-match series against England in July. The BCCI also announced the squad for the men's cricket event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, starting September 24 through October 3, featuring veteran pacer Jasprit Bumrah and young talent Sooryavanshi.
T20 squad for series against Ireland and England: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Asian Games squad: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
