Sooryavanshi's father to arrive in Sri Lanka, parents can travel with him to UK and Ireland: Saikia
New Delhi, June 7
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has arranged for Sanjeev, the father of teenaged left-handed batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, to join him in Sri Lanka ahead of the 50-over tri-series, and has extended the option for his parents to accompany him on the upcoming tours of the UK and Ireland, said Secretary Devajit Saikia on Sunday.
On Saturday, Sooryavanshi earned a maiden call-up to India's T20I squad for the tours to Ireland and England, and the Asian Games in Japan, after having extraordinary performances in U19 World Cup triumph and IPL 2026. Sooryavanshi is in Sri Lanka with the India 'A' team for the 50-over tri-series, starting in Dambulla on June 9.
"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's father is arriving today in Sri Lanka and we'll offer him that if he wants to go to the UK and Ireland also, we'll do that. Vaibhav was selected for India A team a few days ago and soon he will be a part of the India senior men's team.
"So to make him comfortable with the new environment, especially with him being a child, we have made arrangements for his father to go to Sri Lanka and be with his son so that he gets used to being in the new situation," Saikia told IANS.
Sooryavanshi's rapid elevation to the India squad comes on the back of a record‑breaking IPL 2026 season for Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs to finish as the tournament's leading scorer. He also struck one century and five half‑centuries in the campaign, where RR finished third after losing in Qualifier 2.
He also claimed five awards - Emerging Player of the Season, Most Valuable Player, Orange Cap (for being leading run-getter in the competition), best season strike rate and most sixes hit in an IPL season.
"Yesterday he was also selected for the UK and Ireland T20I tours. So we'll make the offer that if the parents or the father wants to go there, we'll make that arrangement also. This is basically for making the child comfortable in a senior men's team and that is the basic thing behind it.
"It's because otherwise he was always traveling with his under 19, junior boys or the sub junior boys team. It meant that he was in the comfort zone. But now he will be in the adult world and we want to make him comfortable, as he is a 15‑year‑old kid. Definitely with his parents around, he'll be more comfortable subject to his satisfaction and convenience, we are doing it," added Saikia.
Sooryavanshi now stands on the cusp of becoming India's youngest international cricketer, which currently belongs to legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut for India at 16 years and 205 days in 1989.
Saikia emphasised that the board's responsibility is to ensure a player like Sooryavanshi isn't feeling alienated in a new team environment. "See, we have some responsibility on us - that nobody should feel uncomfortable or alien in a new environment. That is our basic principle so that he adjusts gradually to being in the senior team."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Absolutely thrilled for Vaibhav! 776 runs in IPL at 15 is unreal. But I'm slightly concerned about the precedent this sets. Will every young player now expect their parents to travel with them? What about boys from smaller towns whose families can't afford to accompany them? BCCI should think about creating a standard support system for all debutants, not just the star kids.
This is a really thoughtful approach from BCCI. In Western cricket boards, we often just throw young players into the deep end and expect them to swim. Having family support during such a massive transition is smart psychology. Vaibhav has the talent to be the next big thing – nurturing that properly is key.
Great move by Saikia ji and BCCI. But let's be honest – if this was some unknown player from a Tier-2 city, would they get the same treatment? The board should benchmark this as a policy, not a special case. Having said that, Vaibhav's talent is undeniable. He could break Sachin's record as India's youngest debutant! 🏏🔥
The emotional intelligence here is commendable. A 15-year-old in a senior dressing room with grown men like Kohli, Bumrah etc. can be intimidating. Having his father nearby will ease the pressure. But I worry about the other young players in the India A squad who are also away from home – hope BCCI extends similar support to them too.
All I can say is – what an exciting time for Indian cricket
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.