Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's age questioned as England media reacts to 15-year-old touring UK with Team India: 'As old as 19'

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is not just the talk of the town but he is currently the hottest topic in world cricket. The 15-year-old sensation received his maiden India call up on Saturday as he found a place in the squad for the tours to Ireland and England.

Sooryavanshi thus became the youngest ever boy to be called up for the senior Indian team, surpassing the record of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. The decision from the selectors comes on the back of a tremendous Indian Premier League performance from the youngster, where he finished as the leading run-scorer and won several awards.

Sooryavanshi has been selected as a back-up opener in the squad and is unlikely to start. However, the outstanding nature of his performances are keeping the English fans and their media on the edge of their seats for a potential international debut of a 15-year-old star. However, some media houses are still unsure about his "real age".

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English media focuses on Sooryavanshi's age

India play a couple of T20Is in Ireland in late June before kicking off a white-ball series against England with a five T20Is.

Daily Mail heaped praise on Sooryavanshi and described him as a record-breaker that English fans will be thrilled to watch. However, the publication also chose to focus on Sooryavanshi's age and even included totally unsubstantiated claims of him possibly being 19.

Screenshot from Daily Mail

"Of his exact age, no one seems quite sure. In an interview in 2023, he suggested he would turn 14 that September, which would make him 18 months older than the 15 years 71 days on his ESPNcricinfo player page. There have even been unsubstantiated claims he is as old as 19," the publication wrote.

Other cricket publications in England were not so interested in Sooryavanshi's age and rather focused on the exceptional talent that he is.

Sky Sports, the official broadcaster of the England series in the United Kingdom, uploaded multiple videos on Sooryavanshi's selection on YouTube and other social media.

Mark Butcher, speaking on Sky Sports, called the 15-year-old an "utterly phenomenal" talent and compared his bat swing to the legendary Garfield Sobers, widely regarded as the greatest to play the game. "Oh my God! This is an astonishing talent. I'll love to see him here," he said.

Screenshots from English media publications.

The Telegraph described Sooryavanshi as a wonderkid in its headline and so did The Hill. The Guardian stressed on him becoming an IPL sensation at just 15. BBC platformed Michael Vaughan who said that the 15-year-old is the best T20 player in the world.

"His strike rates are beyond anything that we've ever seen. He's hitting Jasprit Bumrah's first ball for six, Pat Cummins' first ball for six, Josh Hazlewood's first ball for six," Vaughan said on BBC.