Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, breaks Tendulkar's record as India's youngest debutant but England win
At 15 years and 99 days, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became India's youngest male international cricketer, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, but England's Jacob Bethell stole the show with an unbeaten 76 to secure a four-wicket victory in the second T20 at Old Trafford.
A record-breaking debut
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, at 15 years and 99 days, became the youngest male cricketer to represent India when he took the field for the second T20I against England at Old Trafford. He was presented his cap by teammate Tilak Varma, becoming India's 122nd men's T20 international. The left-hander surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record; Tendulkar was 16 years and 205 days when he made his Test debut in 1989. Sooryavanshi is also the youngest player to appear in a top-tier men's T20, eclipsing Ireland's Joshua Little (16 years 309 days). The youngest in all men's international cricket remains Pakistan's Hasan Raza, who debuted at 14 years and 227 days in 1996. The match was played before a boisterous, largely Indian crowd and broadcast in primetime in India.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- 5574 days
- Sachin Tendulkar
- 6045 days
- Parthiv Patel
- 6357 days
- Maninder Singh
- 6398 days
- Harbhajan Singh
- 6470 days
Sooryavanshi's rapid rise
The teenager forced his way into the national squad after a stellar 2026 Indian Premier League season. He scored 776 runs in 16 innings for Rajasthan Royals, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer with a strike rate above 237. He set a competition record by hitting 72 sixes, breaking Chris Gayle's mark, and was named both Most Valuable Player and Best Emerging Player. Selectors waited until he turned 15 in March before naming him in the squads for the T20 series in Ireland and England, though he did not feature in either match of India's shock 2-0 series defeat in Ireland. He replaced Sanju Samson in the only change from the rain-abandoned first match of this series.
Match turns on Bishnoi over
India batted first and posted 190 for 7, with Ishan Kishan top-scoring with 49, Abhishek Sharma hitting 43 and Shreyas Iyer 37. Sooryavanshi opened and gave a glimpse of his talent, striking two sixes in his 10-ball 14 before being stumped off Will Jacks. His first six came off Jofra Archer, a modified sweep sent over fine leg, and the second off Josh Tongue over cow corner. England's chase stuttered at 51 for 3, but Harry Brook's 39 off 15 balls reignited it. The decisive moment came in the 17th over, bowled by leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi. Two back-foot no-balls yielded free hits that Jacob Bethell dispatched for sixes, and the over cost 29 runs. Bethell finished unbeaten on 76 from 46 balls, with five fours and five sixes, as England reached 191 for 6 with an over to spare.
There's nothing sweeter as a batter than walking off with a win, not out, shaking the boys' hands. There's a few scars against India so it's nice to get one up on them.
Series context
The victory gave England a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after the first game in Durham was abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain. India, the T20 world champions, had lost their previous series 2-0 to Ireland, a result that added pressure on the tourists. The third T20 is scheduled for Tuesday at Trent Bridge.
