Vaibhav Sooryavanshi backed to break Tendulkar’s record with India debut in England
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said India should consider picking Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the white-ball tour of England in July later this year. Vaughan backed the teenager after he smashed a 15-ball half-century to help Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in their IPL 2026 clash in Guwahati on Monday.
If Sooryavanshi features in England, he will become the youngest Indian to play men’s international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar currently holds the record, having made his debut against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days. Vaughan said Sooryavanshi needs to be exposed to the Indian team environment at an early stage.
“I am just looking ahead here, and I know we’re probably getting ahead of ourselves since it’s only the first innings of the IPL. But with a white-ball tour of England coming up in a few months, if I were Indian cricket, I’d take him on that tour,” Vaughan told Cricbuzz.
RR vs CSK, IPL 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
“I am not saying he necessarily walks straight into the XI because there are players already in the side, but he needs to be brought into the Indian setup and exposed to that environment. If he ends up playing one or two games, fantastic, but the key is to get him on that tour,” Vaughan added.
‘WHY ARE WE ALWAYS IN A HURRY?’
While Vaughan urged India to pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the England tour, former India all-rounder R Ashwin called for patience, saying the teenager should be allowed to develop naturally.
Backing Sooryavanshi’s immense talent and future India prospects, Ashwin said there was no need to burden him with immediate expectations, adding that his time would come.
“Don’t give him such a target. He is not even a guy, he is a kid. If MS Dhoni is playing till 45 [44], and if Suryavanshi plays till 40, he has two and a half decades left in cricket. Leave him alone, he will come on his own when the time is right,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“He is too good to not play for India. He will play anyway eventually. When will he play? For that, we might have to wait a bit. Why are we always in a hurry?” Ashwin added.
While talks of an India call-up have already begun, Sooryavanshi will be focused on carrying his rich vein of form into Royals’ next clash against Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings on April 3 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– Ends
