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Vaibhav Suryavanshi is just one match away from turning his dream into reality. Even before the first T20 match against Ireland, this 15-year-old batsman was seen in great form in the nets. There is a strong possibility that he can make his debut in international cricket on Friday (26 June).
If the Bihar player is handed his debut cap in Belfast, the teenager will etch his name in the record books as the youngest player to play for India in international cricket. In doing so, Vaibhav Suryavanshi (15 years, 91 days) will surpass the great Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut for India at the age of 16.
Vaibhav reached Belfast to watch Suryavanshi
Well, even before the start of the two-match T20 series between India and Ireland on Friday, all the attention in Belfast is on Vaibhav Suryavanshi. There was reportedly a different kind of excitement at the training ground in Belfast.
Even though Belfast is not known for its cricket madness, many local fans, local media and Indian fans came to watch India train. Most of them were waiting on the practice grounds to catch a glimpse of the young splendor who has taken Indian cricket by storm in such a short span of time.
Notably, the 15-year-old player’s brilliant IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals changed everything for him. The 15-year-old finished as the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 776 runs, earning the Orange Cap and earning a place in India’s T20I squad for the tour of Ireland and England as well as the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. Now, he is on the verge of a historic opportunity.
India’s preparations disrupted before Ireland T20I!
However, there was a small problem at the start of India’s final training session on Thursday. One of the practice pitches did not have a sightscreen behind the bowler, making it difficult for the batsmen to see the ball clearly. The Indian team management immediately informed Cricket Ireland about this matter.
The organizers immediately made necessary arrangements after discussing the matter with the India Operations Manager. Once everything was settled the practice session continued smoothly. “Yes, there are some issues regarding the practice facilities, but the Indian team support staff has brought it to the attention of the Irish authorities,” PTI quoted a BCCI source as saying.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s net session ends with meeting Gautam Gambhir
Meanwhile, Vaibhav Suryavanshi started stretching and warm-up exercises before sweating it out at the nets. As per RavSportz report, the youngster spent around 45 minutes in the nets and he faced both pace and spin as the coach watched every shot closely.
He first faced fast bowlers Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna before handling the spin attack of Ravi Bishnoi, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. This was his first proper training session with the senior Indian team and he looked comfortable throughout.
The most interesting moment came after the batsman finished batting. Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir went to the young player and spoke to him for a few minutes. Even batting coach Sitanshu Kotak joined the conversation and all three were seen having a serious discussion.
The scene caught everyone’s attention on the field and added more excitement to Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s chances of making it into the playing eleven in the first T20I against Ireland on Friday.