India are likely to hand Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a debut in IRA vs INR at Stormont Cricket Ground in Belfast. If selected, the 15-year-old would become India’s youngest debutant in men’s international cricket.
Stormont Cricket Ground in Belfast
The first T20 international starts at Stormont, with India and Ireland meeting in the opening game of two T20 internationals. India have won all eight T20s between the sides, so Ireland go into this one chasing a result they have not managed before.
By 10:30 BST, a decent crowd had gathered outside the ground. That early turnout matches the draw of the selection call: a teenager listed for a possible India debut in a match that already carries a clear edge for India on recent results.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the XI
Sooryavanshi is 15 years old, and if he appears in the India XI he will do so at 15 years and 91 days. That would move him past the current Indian benchmark set by Sachin Tendulkar, who played a one-day international against Pakistan in 1989 at 16 years and 205 days.
The number matters because it is not just a debut call. It is a team decision that could reset a long-standing age marker for India, with the XI still the last step before it becomes real on the field.
Ireland and India and
Ireland are also dealing with a thinner pool than usual, with six of their most experienced players unavailable through injury. That leaves them trying to end India’s perfect run in the fixture while fielding a side missing a significant chunk of its senior core.
For readers following the match, the immediate watchpoint is simple: whether Sooryavanshi is named in the India XI when the first T20 international begins. The selection call will decide whether India open the series with a first look at a 15-year-old batter who would enter the record book before the contest even settles.
