New Delhi, Jun 23: Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reflected on earning his maiden call-up to the senior team and opened about the emotional moment he got his hands on his India jersey, describing it as the ultimate fulfilment of why he first picked up a cricket bat.

At the age of 15 years and 71 days, Sooryavanshi earned his maiden call-up to the India T20 squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England and the Asian Games 2026, becoming the youngest player to be picked for India, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s 36-year record.

Tendulkar made his India debut in 1989 against Pakistan at the age of 16 years and 205 days, making him the youngest Indian player ever to feature in a senior international cricket match. If Sooryavanshi features during the tour, he will also become the youngest player to debut for India in men’s international cricket.

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"Words cannot explain it. The reason I picked up the bat from day one and went to the ground for practice: that dream is fulfilled now. The biggest step in that journey was completed today. I truly cannot put this feeling into words.

Ladies & Gentlemen

The moment the nation has been waiting for has arrived!

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in #TeamIndia jersey. Witness this incredibly special moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/sUUytFMPVw

"I felt like a dream when I saw that T-shirt; I couldn't stop smiling. Sometimes things happen that you never imagined could happen. When it finally does, you don't know how to react. That was exactly how I felt," the teenage prodigy said in a video shared by BCCI with a caption, "Ladies & Gentlemen, the moment the nation has been waiting for has arrived! Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in #TeamIndia jersey. Witness this incredibly special moment."

India will play two T20Is in Belfast on June 26 and 28, followed by five matches in England from July 1 to 11. The men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games will start on September 24 and conclude with the medal matches on October 3.

Sooryavanshi’s call-up comes on the back of a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, where he established himself as one of the breakout stars of the tournament.

The left-hander won the Orange Cap after scoring 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including one century, five half-centuries and a record 72 sixes.

(IANS)