By Sandipan Banerjee in Manchester
From the moment India landed in the United Kingdom for the white-ball tour, one name dominated conversations wherever the team travelled: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. From Belfast to Durham and finally Manchester, the teenager remained the biggest attraction despite not featuring in a single game initially. At every training session, the same question echoed around the ground: When will Vaibhav make his India debut?
The wait only grew longer after the opening leg in Belfast. Despite spending hours in the nets, Sooryavanshi was left out of both T20Is against Ireland. The story remained unchanged in Durham ahead of the opening T20I against England. He trained extensively, attracted cameras and curious onlookers, but once again had to settle for a place outside the playing XI.
A surprise call?
Throughout the tour, the message from the Indian camp was consistent. In every press conference leading into the Manchester game, the management maintained that handing Sooryavanshi a debut should not come at the expense of an established player who deserved a fair run. Yet, with Sanju Samson enduring three disappointing outings at the top of the order, the clamour for the teenager’s inclusion continued to grow.
Manchester, however, offered subtle signs that something had changed.
During India’s training session on the eve of the second T20I, Sooryavanshi’s routine was noticeably different. Unlike in Belfast and Durham, where he batted for long periods during the first half of the session, he waited until the end in Manchester and faced deliveries for barely 15 minutes. At first glance, it almost felt as though another opportunity had slipped away.
But there was another pattern that stood out.
While covering the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe earlier this year, I had observed Sooryavanshi often kept his practice sessions deliberately light on the eve of matches he was due to play. That memory transformed the brief net session in Manchester from a cause for disappointment into a possible indicator of what was to come.
And finally…
The strongest clue arrived on match day. Soon after reaching Old Trafford, Sooryavanshi walked out of the dressing room with bat in hand and headed straight to the centre wicket for shadow practice. His body language suggested a player preparing for his moment. Opposition players soon congratulated him. Before the toss, Tilak Varma presented him with his maiden India cap, making him the youngest cricketer to represent India.
The confirmation brought smiles across the press box. It was not just the Indian journalists who welcomed the moment. Many members of the English media did as well. Throughout the tour, British journalists had followed Sooryavanshi’s progress closely, with some even calling it the “Summer of Sooryavanshi.”
His debut was more than the arrival of another exciting young talent. It marked the start of a new era in Indian Cricket.
For more news & updates, follow The Crichub on Instagram, X and YouTube
