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England media in awe as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi nears India debut: 'These are just nonsense numbers'

English media and cricket experts have praised 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of his potential India debut on the Ireland and England tours. If Sooryavanshi makes his debut on these tours, he will break Sachin Tendulkar's record to become the youngest-ever to represent India in men's international cricket.

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been fast-tracked to the senior team after his heroics in IPL 2026. Image: ICC
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been fast-tracked to the senior team after his heroics in IPL 2026. Image: ICC
FirstCricket Staff|Jun 26, 2026, 08:18:48 IST

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise has not only caught the attention of Indian cricket fans but has also created excitement across England. The 15-year-old batting sensation is on the verge of a historic senior India debut during the upcoming white-ball tours of Ireland and England.

Ahead of the big moment, English media and cricket experts have praised the youngster after closely following his incredible journey for months. If Sooryavanshi gets a chance to represent India, he will become the youngest player to play senior international cricket for the country, breaking a long-standing record held by legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar.

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The teenager earned his place in the national setup after a stunning IPL 2026 season, where he became the youngest-ever Orange Cap winner. His fearless batting and consistency against some of the best bowlers in the world forced selectors to fast-track his entry into the Indian team.

English media hails Sooryavanshi's arrival

English media and former cricketers have been full of praise for the youngster, with many describing his achievements as extraordinary for someone so young.

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"Sooryavanshi is coming over. The 15-year-old wonder kid. We’re all looking forward to seeing him play. He’s just an absolute freak of nature, what a player he is for a kid of that age," talkSPORT host reacted to Sooryavanshi hype ahead of his India debut.

Speaking on the talkSPORT Cricket show, former England batter Mark Butcher highlighted the excitement around Sooryavanshi’s arrival on the international stage. Butcher also pointed out that some people have already started questioning whether the youngster is ready for international cricket, but he believes his performances speak for themselves.

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"It's just utterly mindboggling. And I tell you what's even more mindboggling, gents, is the fact that people are kind of already sort of trying to pour water on his fireworks a little bit. And I'm thinking to myself, he's 15, right? And in the biggest and best T20 tournament in the world where all the biggest and best players play and have played historically, the kid has done something that nobody has ever done before and it might never ever happen again. But just think about that for a second. As a 15-year-old, he breaks Chris Gayle's six hitting record. He has a strike rate of 225 over the tournament. These are just nonsense numbers," Butcher said.

Simon Doull says India ‘had to find a way’ for him

Former New Zealand cricketer and commentator Simon Doull also praised Sooryavanshi’s performances, saying his selection was purely based on his numbers and impact. Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket, Doull said India are preparing for the next T20 World Cup and Sooryavanshi’s performances made his selection impossible to ignore.

"This is a side looking forward to the next T20 World Cup. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi you know leading run scorer in the recent IPL with well over 750 runs. Unbelievable talent. Another two years on him before the next T20 World Cup. They've got to get him into the side. They had to find a way. He forced his way in purely and simply from runs," Doull said.

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BBC highlights ‘cartoons’ story

The BBC also focused on the young cricketer ahead of his India debut. They published an article with the headline: "Cartoons & hose hands - what makes Sooryavanshi, 15, special?"

The report highlighted not only his batting talent but also his simple lifestyle and confidence despite his age. Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who watched Sooryavanshi closely during the IPL as a commentator, shared an interesting conversation he had with the youngster.

“I actually bumped into him in Mumbai. I had a bit of a fan moment. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve had that since meeting Chris Waddle back in the 1990s! I asked him ‘how did you prepare for the game?’ He said ‘watching cartoons’. I said ‘what do you eat?’ He said ‘I eat everything!’” Vaughan said.

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First Published:Jun 26, 2026, 08:18:48 IST
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