Ireland set to come up against teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in upcoming T20 series against India
Teenage phenomenon Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been handed his maiden India call-up for their upcoming T20 series against Ireland and England.
An array of outrageous knocks in the Indian Premier League saw Sooryavanshi collect the most valuable player award, with the 15-year-old opener amassing 776 runs at a staggering strike-rate of 237.30.
His performances for Rajasthan Royals have seen him elevated into India’s senior squad for the first time, having been instrumental in the under-19s winning the World Cup this year with an epic 175 against England in the final.
Sooryavanshi is in line for his international debut in Belfast, with India taking on Ireland in two T20s at Stormont Cricket Ground on June 26 and 28.
A reunion with Royals team-mate Jofra Archer could then be on the cards as India take on England in a five-match series from July 1-11.
If he plays on the tour, Sooryavanshi will become India’s youngest ever debutant, eclipsing the great Sachin Tendulkar, who made his international bow aged 16 years and 205 days in a Test against Pakistan in 1989.
India will be captained by Shreyas Iyer in both assignments, replacing Suryakumar Yadav, who has been dropped despite overseeing their triumphant T20 World Cup campaign on home soil earlier this year.
Yadav made 242 runs in nine innings in the tournament at a strike rate of 136.72 although he had a modest IPL, averaging 20.76 in 13 knocks.
Talismanic fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested, having struggled during the IPL, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya also sits out the tour, with uncapped fast bowler Prince Yadav called up.