Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his international debut for India in the second T20I against England on Saturday. At just 15 years and 99 days old, the prodigious batter from Bihar’s Samastipur became India’s youngest-ever international debutant, surpassing the long-standing record held by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar for nearly 37 years. Although Sooryavanshi scored only 14 runs off 10 balls, his innings featured two towering sixes that highlighted his fearless approach and attacking intent. However, the young batter’s debut ended in disappointment as India suffered a four-wicket defeat.
Speaking after the match, England batter Jacob Bethell, who played a key role in his team’s victory, shared his thoughts on witnessing Sooryavanshi’s debut. Bethell, who made his England debut in 2024 and is just 22 years old, is also the youngest player in the opposition squad.
“Yeah, it feels weird to say that I am playing against someone seven years younger than me. I have watched him bat in India, watched him today – the swing and everything is pure. So, he’s an unbelievable talent,” said Bethell.
Bethell produced a composed yet explosive unbeaten 76 to guide England to a four-wicket victory while chasing 191, helping the hosts take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
“I’d actually put it up close to the top. There’s nothing sweeter as a batter than walking off with a win, not out, walking in, shaking the boys’ hands,” Bethell said when asked where the innings ranked among his favourites for England.
“I’ve scored a few hundreds, but only one of them was in a winning cause. We lost in Australia, we lost in India, so after those games you always think, ‘What more could I have done?’ “Whereas today, I’m all smiles. We’ve gone one-nil up in the series. There’s a few scars against India, so it’s nice to get one up on them. It’s also given me a lot of confidence going into the last three games.” he added.
(With PTI Inputs)
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