Fifteen-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his international debut for India against England on Saturday in the second Vitality T20 match at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.
Sooryavanshi opened the batting in place of Sanju Samson, scoring 14 runs off 10 balls before being stumped by England bowler Will Jacks.
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The teenager hit two sixes during his short innings, one off Jofra Archer and another off fellow debutant Josh Tongue.
Sooryavanshi recently surpassed Sachin Tendulkar as India's youngest men's cricketer.
He also finished as the top run-scorer, top six-hitter, and most valuable player in the Indian Premier League earlier this year.
Before breaking into the playing XI, he sat out two matches against Ireland and a rain-abandoned series opener in Durham.
Captain and Former Players Weigh In
India captain Shreyas Iyer praised Sooryavanshi's fearless approach during the pre-match coin toss.
“How he takes on bowlers shows his confidence. He doesn’t take pressure at all,” Iyer said.
The skipper noted the young player's calm composure around the national team setup.
“He’s unflinching, it’s good to have him around,” Iyer added.
Former India wicket-keeper batter Parthiv Patel had earlier discussed managing Sooryavanshi on Star Sports, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
Patel urged head coach Gautam Gambhir to maintain transparent communication with the teenager regarding his position in the hierarchy.
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“I feel that at some point in this series (against England), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will definitely get an opportunity.
