Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, aged 15, has been selected for India's T20 squad for their upcoming series against Ireland and England, a historic call-up that could make him the youngest Indian male international cricketer if he plays in the matches [1, 2, 3, 4].

Sooryavanshi's rapid rise follows a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL) season where he scored 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of around 237. He won the IPL Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, and Orange Cap awards, breaking Chris Gayle's record for most sixes in a single IPL season [1, 2, 3, 4]. Ajit Agarkar praised Sooryavanshi's impact, saying, "We’ve seen what he can do, towards playoffs, almost single-handedly carried Rajasthan Royals. Not just this season, [he] had a great start, and to back it up in a competition that is as competitive and high-pressure, he’s a game-changer. We’ve got high hopes of him, and he has picked himself" [4].

The selection means Sooryavanshi could break Sachin Tendulkar’s record as India’s youngest male international debutant, currently 16 years and 205 days old, if he plays during the series starting later this month [1, 2, 3, 4].

The Indian squad will be led by new T20 captain Shreyas Iyer, replacing Suryakumar Yadav, who was dropped despite leading India to the T20 World Cup win in March. Yadav has faced recent struggles, scoring 242 runs in 9 World Cup innings and averaging just 20.76 in the IPL [1, 2, 3, 4].

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been rested due to IPL form issues, and all-rounder Hardik Pandya is also absent. The squad includes uncapped fast bowler Prince Yadav [2].

India will play two T20 matches against Ireland on June 26 and 28 in Belfast, followed by five T20 games against England starting July 1 [2, 3].

Sooryavanshi has also been named among a 30-member probable list for the Asian Games cricket competition in Japan scheduled for September-October, potentially adding an international multi-sport event to his calendar [3].

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially announced the squad and leadership change today, June 6 [4].