Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, has been selected in India’s T20I squad for the upcoming tours of Sri Lanka and England, potentially making him the youngest player ever to represent India in international cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made special arrangements for the teenager, granting his parents permission to travel with him on both tours, a provision rarely extended to any player.

BCCI’s special care

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has explained the decision, noting the board’s responsibility towards the minor.

“As he is a small child … when he is travelling with the men’s team, who are all adults, therefore, we deem it proper that his parents or anybody from the family can travel with him to Sri Lanka,” Saikia told Hindustan Times.

He added that the BCCI would also support the family’s travel to England, saying, “He is a kid, so he would need some time to assimilate with the senior boys.”

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The chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, was candid about why Sooryavanshi was picked.

“I think he has just picked himself, really,” Agarkar said. “We’ve seen what he can do. You saw even towards those playoffs, he almost single-handedly carried Rajasthan Royals.”

Agarkar added that Sooryavanshi’s consistency across seasons made him a standout pick. “For a young kid in a competition that’s as competitive and as high-pressure an environment as this, is special,” he said.

Records and comparisons

Sooryavanshi has scored over 1,000 runs in just 23 IPL matches, an extraordinary feat for any player, let alone a teenager.

Should he make his debut, he would surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record as India’s youngest international debutant. Tendulkar was 16 years and 207 days old when he first played for the country.

The squad

The squad for Indian team has many significant change with Suryakumar Yadav’s exit being the major one. He was the captain of the Indian T20 team that won the world cup, but due to his poor form, he has been replaced by Shreyas Iyer. Prince Yadav, who performed well in the IPL has been added to the squad too.

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer named India T20I captain; Sooryavanshi in for England, Ireland series

Here is the full squad for the England tour:

Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Ravi Bishnoi, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Dube, Varun Chakaravarthy, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.