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The India vs Ireland T20I series gained hype mostly because of the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavabshi, who could have made his Team India debut in the series. The young man will have to wait as he is not named in the line-up for the first match of the series against Ireland.
However, he might not be on the field tonight, but there is a lot of speculation around the emerging talent. Before the match, during a segment for Sky Sports Cricket, former cricketers Nasser Hussain, Kumar Sangakkara, and Dinesh Karthik were discussing how Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became a sensational talent.
Dinesh Karthik compares Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with MS Dhoni
Former Team India keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik mentioned that the nation is full of talent. For example, he talked about the legendary captain MS Dhoni, who came from nowhere and ended up as a legend of Indian cricket. Karthik pointed out some symmetries between the rise of Dhoni and Sooryavanshi.
“So there were a bunch of people who went around India to see if there were any interesting talents in the rural areas of the country. And one of the earlier ones that they picked was none other than MS Dhoni. He came from, he's from Bihar as well, which has now become Jharkhand, and Bihar is two different states geographically,” Dinesh Karthik said.
Dinesh Karthik mentioned the massively developed scouting system of Indian cricket
As cricket is a mass favorite sport in India and there are a lot of talents across the states, over the years, the scouting process has also improved significantly. Then came the Indian Premier League, which shaped the modern world of cricket.
“And after IPL started, one thing that has really taken shape and every team invests quite a bit in is the scouting system. And through the scouting system, people go through the length and breadth of the country,” Karthik added.
“In fact, the cricketing world to see if there is any talent that people are not watching. Is there anybody special? And this young boy obviously has caught the eyes of the Rajasthan Royals because he went for trials there.”
Dinesh Karthik on how 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earned his India call-up! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/RAJ5svzUM4
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 26, 2026
Nasser Hussain shares some interesting stories about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Former England captain Nasser Hussain shared some interesting behind-the-scenes stories about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. As he is only 15, the organizers of the India tour of the United Kingdom had to break some traditional rules. As Sooryavanshi is very young, he is allowed to travel with his parents.
This tour is organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), so it was their responsibility to take care of the 15-year-old. The organisers allotted a separate changing room as well, exclusively for him. Normally, cricketers are not allowed to share rooms with parents.
Sharing an old video of the batter, the legendary England cricketer said that during the lockdown, when most people were surrounded by walls, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was uniquely engaged in his batting rehearsals, which shows how dedicated he is to the game. In the video, played on the big screen of the studio, it was only 9-year-old Vaibhav who was doing his batting practice on the terrace.
Travelling with his parents & using a separate changing room! 👀✈️
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 26, 2026
Nasser Hussain on the safeguarding issues around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's India squad inclusion for the upcoming tour of England. pic.twitter.com/aV0vZPCFcv
