Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is on the verge of a historic milestone ahead of the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins on Sunday, September 13. If the 15-year-old features in the series opener, he will become the youngest cricketer from a full-member nation to play an international match on Indian soil.
The entire series will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Afghanistan will officially be the home team, with the BCCI providing logistical support for the fixtures. India and Afghanistan last met in a T20I series in 2024, when India completed a 3-0 sweep after winning a double Super Over in the final match.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the Verge of Breaking Major Milestone
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already rewritten several age-related records during his short international career. The 15-year-old became the youngest Indian men’s cricketer to make his international debut, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s previous mark.
Tendulkar remains the youngest Indian to play an international match on home soil. He was 17 years and 253 days old when he represented India in an ODI against Sri Lanka in Pune in December 1990.
If Sooryavanshi features against Afghanistan in Delhi, he will break that record and become the youngest cricketer from a full-member nation to play international cricket in India. The youngest players from visiting full-member teams to feature in India are:
| Rank | Player | Team | Age | Format | Match in India |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mujeeb Ur Rahman | Afghanistan | 17y 78d | Test | vs India, Bengaluru, June 2018 |
| 2 | Waqar Salamkheil | Afghanistan | 17y 164d | Test | vs Ireland, Dehradun, March 2019 |
| 3 | Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 17y 337d | T20I | vs West Indies, Lucknow, November 2019 |
| 4 | Ikram Alikhil | Afghanistan | 18y 167d | Test | vs Ireland, Dehradun, March 2019 |
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Faces Competition From Sanju Samson
Vaibhab Sooryavanshi is not guaranteed a place in India’s playing XI. Sanju Samson is also part of the squad and has formed a settled opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma in T20Is. Former India cricketer Vivek Razdan backed Samson and wanted India to drop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
India faced a similar selection call during their recent tour of England. Sooryavanshi was brought into the playing XI at Samson’s expense during the series, but the teenager made way for the senior wicketkeeper-batter in the final match.
The decision is unlikely to be straightforward for captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir. Samson and Abhishek have performed well together at the top, but Sooryavanshi’s explosive batting makes him difficult to leave out.
With the Asian Games in Japan also approaching, India could use the Afghanistan series to assess their opening options. The team management would want both Samson and Sooryavanshi to get opportunities before finalizing the combination for the Games.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Carries Stunning T20 Form Into Afghanistan Series
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi enters the series in excellent form after finishing as India’s leading run-scorer during the recent Zimbabwe T20Is. He scored 151 runs in three matches at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10, including two half-centuries.
The teenager also enjoyed a remarkable IPL 2026 campaign, winning the Orange Cap after scoring 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.30. He smashed one century and five fifties during the season.
Overall, Sooryavanshi has scored 1,670 runs in 40 T20 matches at an average of 42.82 and a strike rate of 216.32, including four centuries and eight fifties.
Afghanistan will also have two major milestones in sight. Mohammad Nabi needs 52 runs to become the first Afghan cricketer to score 2,500 T20I runs, while Rashid Khan is seven wickets away from becoming the first bowler to reach 200 T20I wickets.
