Sooryavanshi set to become youngest Indian cricketer
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has endorsed 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for an international debut, calling him a "once in a generation" talent. Sooryavanshi was named in India's T20I squad for the two-match series against Ireland starting Friday in Belfast, as well as for the tours of England and the Asian Games. He broke Sachin Tendulkar's 36-year-old record as the youngest-ever player selected for the Indian national side; Tendulkar debuted at 16 in 1989.
Rajkumar: 'He truly deserves this debut'
Speaking to ANI, Rajkumar Sharma praised Sooryavanshi's remarkable achievement and exceptional talent. "It's a magnificent achievement, I'd say, for Vaibhav. He possesses exceptional talent; he's shown it by the way he's taken on all the world's best bowlers. So, he truly deserves this debut, and I'm looking forward to it. I wish him all the best for his debut and am really happy for him," Rajkumar said.
If Sooryavanshi plays in the Ireland series, he will become the youngest Indian to play international cricket at age 15.
Record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign
Sooryavanshi earned his maiden national call-up after a sensational IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals. He amassed 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties. He finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer and smashed a record 72 sixes. He also won the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes awards.
Impressive List A form in Sri Lanka
In a recent tri-nation series in Sri Lanka featuring Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, Sooryavanshi scored 211 runs in five innings at an average of 42.20 and a strike rate of nearly 201, with a best of 94. He also hit the fastest List A fifty in 11 balls against Sri Lanka A.
Rajkumar: Such talents are rare
Rajkumar noted that Sooryavanshi's rise has inspired many parents to enroll children in cricket coaching at a very young age. However, he cautioned that talents like Sooryavanshi are rare. "Yes, definitely, very young kids have started coming, and their parents want to enroll them. For example, someone brought a 5-year-old kid to me, and I said, 'No, he's still very young, let him play for now, and enroll him in coaching when he turns 8.' They asked, 'If we enroll him at 8, how will he become like Vaibhav Suryavanshi?' So, people's expectations have certainly risen because a youngster has done so well. But such players are born only once in a generation," he said.
Kohli's fitness and return
Virat Kohli, who now plays exclusively in ODIs, missed the recent series against Afghanistan due to a right hamstring injury sustained during the IPL 2026 final. He has been included in India's ODI squad for the upcoming series against England, which follows the T20I assignments. Rajkumar expressed confidence in Kohli's fitness. "Definitely, he had gone to the Centre of Excellence, so whatever report comes from there. I am fully hopeful that he is fit and will be fit for that series." He added that Kohli's intensity remains unchanged. "Given the intensity with which Virat plays all his matches, I am fully hopeful he will play with even more intensity. That's what he's always done; he won't leave his routine. He always gives a hundred percent on the field, and I am hopeful that he will give more than a hundred percent," Rajkumar told ANI.
