New Delhi: India gave 15-year-old batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his long-awaited international debut in the second T20I against England at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday.Indian captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first. The only change in the playing XI saw Sooryavanshi replaced Sanju Samson top of the order.
Who did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi replace?
Samson walked leaning on running with a bat. He scored 5 and 0 in the two-match T20I series against Ireland and managed just 1 in the opening T20I against England at Chester-le-Street.With his debut, Sooryavanshi became India’s youngest cricketer at the age of 15 years and 99 days, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record. Sachin made his international debut at 16 years and 205 days against Pakistan in 1989. Washington Sundar remains India’s youngest T20I player before Sooryavanshi, having debuted at 18 years and 80 days against Sri Lanka in 2017.Speaking at the toss, Shreyas Iyer confirmed the change.“We will bat first. (Will the team change?) One change, Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) comes to Sanju (Samson).”The Indian captain also backed the youngster and explained why the team management has complete faith in him.“(Amazing news. He’s about to become the youngest player in India. Is he ready?) Absolutely. You’ve seen him in the last few months, the way he’s been breaking the ball, taking on the best, it shows a lot of confidence that he has.”Iyer said Sooryavanshi earned its place because of its consistent performance.“(Do you feel a lot of pressure to play him?) Absolutely not. I think he deserves to be in this team as he has done in the last few months and years. He is a person who does not take pressure at all. The way you see him in the dressing room, he has that unwavering quality. And it’s good to have him around. “When asked about overcoming the challenges that come with playing for India, Iyer praised the youngster’s spirit.“(Is it part of your role as a captain to help him deal with the pressures that come with being an Indian player?) I’m sure he knows exactly what’s going to happen in the game. And as I said, he has a calm demeanor. They don’t take any pressure at all. And the way he hits the nets, the way he takes the bowlers to the nets, shows what he is. “Iyer also showed great competition for a place in the Indian team.“(Coming from the World Cup winning T20 now, the captain is gone and the batsman is no longer in the team. Does this indicate a huge competition for the places you have?) Well, absolutely. You see the competition. It’s sports and sports like the amount of talent India has produced over the past months and years. I think it’s visually pleasing and keeps us mostly on our toes and the rest of the series. Because pressure is privilege, I feel. And if you perform under pressure, you also benefit. “England, meanwhile, made two changes to their playing XI, bringing back Jofra Archer and handing fast bowler Josh Tongue his T20I debut.The first T20I of the five-match series at Chester-le-Street ended without a result after rain disrupted England’s chase at 189/7.