The match at Harare Sports Club may have ended, but discussions about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s standout performance in the Under-19 World Cup Final against England still persist. He scored a remarkable 175 runs off just 80 balls, hitting 15 sixes and leading his team to victory.
At just 14 years old, the young cricketer from Bihar wonders why he hasn’t been selected for the Indian senior team, especially after excelling against top young talents in England and scoring centuries in the IPL. His absence from the senior lineup is due to an International Cricket Council (ICC) rule for age groups.
Why Vaibhav Can’t Play for India Now?
The main barrier to Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s debut in the senior Indian team is the ICC’s minimum age rule. This rule, established in 2020 to protect young athletes, states that cricketers must be at least 15 years old to participate in international matches.
Born on March 27, 2011, Vaibhav was still 14 during his historic Under-19 World Cup win in February 2026. This means he cannot be selected for the senior team until he turns 15 on March 27, 2026, regardless of his impressive performances for Bihar or the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
Interestingly, despite being too young for the senior team, Vaibhav’s journey with India’s Under-19 team has also concluded. The BCCI enforces a strict ‘one tournament’ rule for the Under-19 World Cup.
Since Vaibhav was named Player of the Tournament in 2026, he will not be eligible to play in the next two Under-19 World Cups in 2028 and 2030, even if he is still under 19 during those events.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi: A Young Sensation
His achievements in the past year highlight why this young batsman is generating excitement:
- Record in U19 World Cup Final: Achieved the highest individual score in a U19 World Cup final with 175 runs against England.
- Most Sixes in a U19 World Cup: Hit 30 sixes in the 2026 tournament, surpassing Dewald Brevis’s record.
- Youngest List-A Centurion: Became the youngest player to score a List A century at 14 years and 272 days.
- Fastest 150 Ever: Set a record by scoring 150 runs in just 59 balls during the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
- Youngest IPL Centurion: Made history as the youngest centurion in IPL at 14 years and 32 days with a 35-ball century for Rajasthan Royals.
- First for India A: Scored the first T20 century for India A with a 32-ball hundred against the UAE.
- Fastest Youth ODI Century: Broke records by scoring a century in just 52 balls against England U19.
- Youth Test Milestone: Recorded the fastest Youth Test century by an Indian in 58 balls, second overall.
- Domestic T20 Record: Scored an unbeaten century of 108 runs in domestic T20 matches.
- Six-Hitting Landmark: First player to hit 100 career sixes in Youth ODIs.
For now, he remains a prominent figure in domestic and franchise cricket as the ‘Suryavanshi Storm.’ However, with a busy schedule in India later in 2026, he may soon have his chance as he approaches his 15th birthday.
