Vaibhav Sooryavanshi wrote his name in the history books by becoming the youngest IPL centurion – just nine days after his record-breaking debut at the age of 14 in 2025.
Now 15, India’s latest cricket prodigy has continued his remarkable run, fueling calls for him to be unleashed on the international stage.
Sooryavanshi ignited his debut IPL season with a 35-ball hundred as a 14-year-old and has proved anything but a flash in the pan in the 2026 edition, showing a dizzying ability to thrive on the biggest stages with Rajasthan Royals.
He became the youngest player, and the fastest in terms of balls, – to complete 1,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket when he hit a 36-ball century – against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.
Sooryavanshi hit 12 sixes and five boundaries as he completed his second century in the IPL, shortly after reaching 1,000 runs in T20 cricket, having faced just 473 balls in the format.
The previous record was held by Australia’s Mitchell Owen, who completed 1,000 runs in 533 balls.
The century was the third-fastest in IPL history after Chris Gayle’s 30-ball ton in 2013 and Sooryavanshi’s own 35-ball hundred last year.
“There was not much thinking, I just played for the ball. The wicket felt good so I backed my game,” said Sooryavanshi, who had hit four sixes in the first over.
“I think about what bowlers are in the opposition, what shots I can play against them, I try to visualize all that.” The teenager, who is yet to make his senior debut for India, has been in scorching form this season, having scored two 15-ball fifties against Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
‘My new favorite player’
Pat Cummins paid tribute to teenage sensation Sooryavanshi
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins praised the Royals’ batting prodigy, calling him his new “favourite player”.
“I think he’s my new favorite player,” a smiling Cummins said of the teenage opener. “He’s hit the ball so hard. It’s great to watch, it’s fun. You’ve got to be right for the money as a bowler.”
“He’s had a great start to his career and I love the way he plays. It takes the game forward.”
‘Cricket is not as easy as he plays’
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Sooryavanshi smashed 78 off just 26 balls as Royals faced Royal Challengers Bengaluru
“We just can’t believe how anyone can bat like that. He’s a big talent and we feel good about him being in our team,” India and Rajasthan Royals wicketkeeper batsman Dhruv Jurel said.
“When you go in and Vaibhav is smashing every ball, you tend to think that nothing is happening on the wicket. Cricket is not as easy as he plays.”
With potential international teammates like Jurel waxing lyrical about his abilities, it raises a relevant question.
How long can India ignore Sooryavanshi?
India have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to new talent and with their T20 side newly crowned World Cup winners, it remains to be seen whether the selectors will see fit to tinker with a winning formula.
But every now and then a player comes along so special that they simply cannot be ignored.
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When he was 14, Sooryavanshi smashed 175 off just 80 balls as India dominated England in the U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup final
Sachin Tendulkar. Virat Kohli. Rohit Sharma. Shubman Gill. Yashasvi Jaiswal. Sooryavanshi seems to be cut from that cloth.
A sensational 175 fired India to a 100-run victory over England – and a record sixth title – in February’s U19 World Cup final in Harare as he proved once again that he cuts it against the very best.
Sooryavanshi arch in the British Isles?
A summer stacked with white-ball matches provides ample opportunity for him to make his international bow.
If calls to give the 15-year-old a debut in the upcoming multi-format series against Afghanistan go unanswered, his breakthrough could come in the British Isles, where India face Ireland and England across seven T20Is and three ODIs in June and July.
Whether it comes this summer or not, it seems only a matter of time before Sooryavanshi gets the call from India. The world of cricket has been made aware.
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Rob Jones takes us through the career of Indian sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who, aged just 15, is taking the cricket world by storm
India men cricket matches 2026
All times Great Britain and Ireland 🕰️
Home to Afghanistan (multi-format) – June
- One-off test (Saturday, June 6) – New Chandigarh (05:00 hrs)
- First ODI (Sunday, June 14) – Dharamsala (9 am)
- Second ODI (Wednesday, June 17) – Lucknow (9:00 AM)
- Third ODI (Saturday, June 20) – Chennai (9am)
Off to Ireland (white ball cricket) – June
- First T20I (Friday, June 26) – Stormont, Belfast (10am)
- Second T20I (Sunday, June 28) – Stormont, Belfast (10am)
Away to England (white ball cricket) – July
- First T20I (Wednesday 1 July) – Chester-le-Street, Durham (5.30pm)
- Second T20I (Saturday, July 4) – Old Trafford, Manchester (2.30pm)
- Third T20I (Tuesday, July 7) – Trent Bridge, Nottingham (5.30pm)
- Fourth T20I (Thursday, July 9) – Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol (5.30pm)
- Fifth T20I (Saturday, July 11) – Utilita Bowl, Southampton (2.30pm)
- First ODI (Tuesday, July 14) – Edgbaston, Birmingham (11am)
- Second ODI (Thursday, July 16) – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (1pm)
- Third ODI (Sunday, July 19) – Lord’s, London (11am)