NEW DELHI: “Keep your dreams, they come true.”This famous quote from Sachin Tendulkar captured the moment when 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stood with a smile on his face after receiving his India men’s cap from Tilak Varma just before the second T20I against England at the Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester. For a boy from the small village of Tajpur in Bihar’s Samastipur district, it was the reward of years of dedication, hard work and excellence.On Saturday, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to represent India, breaking the previous record held by Sachin Tendulkar at the age of 16 years and 205 days.
The trip started on the 12th
Sooryavanshi’s rise was nothing short of amazing.He rose to fame in January 2024 when he made his debut for Bihar at the age of 12. He became one of the youngest players to feature in the Ranji Trophy.Later that year, he represented India in the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup and scored 176 runs in five matches at an average of 44.His biggest achievement came recently when he smashed a 58-ball against Australia in the Youth Test in Chennai. Those innings heralded him as one of India’s most promising young talents.
The smallest signing of the IPL
The game was never seen.At the age of just 13, Rajasthan Royals signed Sooryavanshi for Rs 1.10 crore in the IPL market, making him the youngest player in the history of the competition to receive an IPL contract.When he made his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants at the age of 14 years and 23 days, he showed no signs of nerves. His first ball in the league was a six off Shardul Thakur.Nine days later, he re-wrote the record books by breaking 35 years of bowling against Gujarat Titans to become the youngest captain in IPL history. The knock was five balls short of Chris Gayle’s fastest IPL hundred.
The IPL season that changed everything
After scoring 252 runs in his first IPL season in 2025, Sooryavanshi made a strong comeback in IPL 2026 where he scored 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of over 230. He also scored 72 sixes, breaking Chris Gayle’s record of most sixes in a single IPL season.His amazing campaign helped Rajasthan Royals reach the playoffs and earned him three major honors – the Orange Cap, the Most Valuable Player award and the Emerging Player Award. He became the first player in IPL history to win all three in one season.
Success in India A and Under-19 Cricket
The IPL champions made Sooryavanshi a part of the India A team for the tri-series.He scored 211 runs in five matches at an average of 42.20 and a strike rate of 200.95. In the end, he scored 94 off 29 balls to help India lift the trophy with a 66-run victory.Even before his IPL season, Sooryavanshi was already on the international stage.In February, he participated in India’s victory over England in the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup. His blast of 175 from just 80 balls took India to 100. He was also adjudged Player of the Series.
A father’s dream
Behind every milestone in Sooryavanshi’s career has been the unwavering support of his father, Sanjeev Sooryavanshi.Born on March 27, 2011 – the same year India won the ODI World Cup under MS Dhoni – Vaibhav showed his talent at a very young age.When he was just four years old, Sanjeev saw the power with which his son hit a plastic ball. When he comes home from work in the fields, he spends hours playing football with Vaibhav and helping him to exercise.Before long, he built a small practice area in their backyard for his son to practice every day.Noticing Vaibhav’s interest, Sanjeev took him to tutor Brajesh Jha in Samastipur. After that, father and son began a regular trip to Patna, where coach Manish Ojha played a major role in developing the boy’s game.The 90 km journey from Samastipur to Patna was tough, but Sanjeev didn’t let that be an excuse. He bought a car and drove his son to school some days so that he wouldn’t have to stop studying.Be it Heman Trophy, Vinoo Mankad Trophy, Challengers Trophy, ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, IPL or Under-19 World Cup, Sooryavanshi kept clearing one hurdle after another.On Saturday in Manchester, he passed the biggest milestone of his career. The youngster who took action in his own backyard took to the field in an India jersey – turning a childhood dream into reality.