England star left stunned by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s historic India debut, calls him ‘Unbelievable Talent’

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s international debut not have finished with a win but the teenage sensation made a strong impression on fans and opponents. After England defeated India by four wickets in the second T20I at Old Trafford, England batter Jacob Bethell had special praise for the 15-year-old, calling him an “unbelievable talent.”

Sooryavanshi became the centre of attention after making his senior India debut and creating history as the country’s youngest-ever international cricketer.

The left-handed opener from Bihar’s Samastipur made his debut at the age of 15 years and 99 days, overtaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record to become India’s youngest international debutant.

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Although his stay at the crease was brief, Vaibhav showed exactly why he is regarded as one of India’s brightest young talents. He scored 14 runs from just 10 balls, including two massive sixes that reflected his fearless batting style.

His innings ended after being stumped, while India eventually lost the match despite posting 190 runs.

Jacob Bethell impressed by India’s teenage star

England’s match-winner Jacob Bethell admitted it felt unusual to be playing against someone seven years younger than him, but said the youngster’s talent was obvious.

“Yeah, it feels weird to say that I am playing against someone seven years younger than me. I have watched him bat in India, watched him today – the swing and everything is pure. So, he’s an unbelievable talent,” said Bethell.

The 22-year-old Bethell is himself the youngest member of England’s current squad, having made his international debut in 2024.

Bethell’s unbeaten knock seals England’s victory

While Sooryavanshi grabbed headlines before the match, Bethell stole the show during the chase.

The left-hander remained unbeaten on 76 and guided England to a comfortable four-wicket victory while chasing 191, helping the hosts take a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.

His composed innings earned widespread praise and further strengthened his growing reputation in international cricket.

‘Nothing sweeter than finishing unbeaten’: Bethell

After being named one of England’s heroes, Bethell said the innings ranked among his most satisfying performances because it ended in a team victory.

“I’d actually put it up close to the top. There’s nothing sweeter as a batter than walking off with a win, not out, walking in, shaking the boys’ hands,” Bethell said.

“I’ve scored a few hundreds, but only one of them was in a winning cause. We lost in Australia, we lost in India, so after those games you always think, ‘What more could I have done?‘

“Whereas today, I’m all smiles. We’ve gone one-nil up in the series. There’s a few scars against India, so it’s nice to get one up on them. It’s also given me a lot of confidence going into the last three games,” he added.

Bright future awaits Vaibhav

Despite India’s defeat, Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking debut remained one of the biggest positives from the match.

The teenager has already made a name for himself with his performances in IPL 2026 and India A cricket and his confident start to international cricket suggests that Indian fans could be witnessing the start of another exciting young career.

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