Update, 24 October 2026, 3:12 PM: Sooryavanshi was out for 4 at No. 3 in the 2nd T20I, caught by Daryl Mitchell off Nathan Smith. New Zealand made 180/5. India were 47/2 after 7 overs in the chase at our last check, and the result isn't confirmed yet.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a 15-year-old left-handed opener from Bihar. On 24 October 2026 he returned to India's T20I side for the 2nd match against New Zealand at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. He batted at No. 3 rather than opening and was out for 4, caught by Daryl Mitchell off Nathan Smith. He was born on 27 March 2011. Before this game he had 246 runs from 8 T20Is at a strike rate of 186.36, and he won the IPL 2026 Orange Cap with 776 runs.
This is a standing profile, not a live blog, and we update it after every match. For streaming details and squads, see our IND vs NZ T20 live streaming and squads guide.
Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in the news on 24 October 2026
He was back in the XI. Ishan Kishan picked up an injury in the 1st T20I on 22 October, and Sooryavanshi replaced him for the second game. Toss reports describe it as a minor right adductor (groin) injury (LatestLY). The Week had earlier called it a leg injury. India's other change was Prince Yadav for Mayank Yadav. For more on who could cover for Kishan, read our story on Kumar Kushagra and the Ishan Kishan cover question.
Captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl because of possible dew. He then confirmed that Sooryavanshi would bat at No. 3, which surprised many fans who know him as an opener (UNI, ETV Bharat). According to Crex, the game made him the youngest player ever to take the field in New Zealand.
Playing XIs for the 2nd T20I
- India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav
- New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson
Source: the Sunday Guardian and LatestLY toss reports of 24 October 2026.
How his innings went: 4 at No. 3
New Zealand were 41/3 when Glenn Phillips (70 off 43) and Bevon Jacobs (58 off 46) put on 116, and they finished on 180/5 (NewsDrum). In the chase, Sanju Samson was bowled by Jacob Duffy for 14 off 17. Sooryavanshi then made 4 before he was caught by Daryl Mitchell off Nathan Smith. India.com's live blog reported the dismissal at 3:06 PM IST on 24 October 2026.
Match status: At our last check, India were 47/2 after 7 overs, chasing 181. The result was not confirmed as of 24 October 2026, 3:12 PM. Some pages are already showing "India won by four wickets". That result belongs to the 1st T20I, so don't rely on it for this match. Some live pages also contradict themselves on the score, so check final numbers on his ESPNcricinfo player page once the scorecard is final. It isn't official, but it's the standard reference.
Why isn't he opening? What Shreyas Iyer said
India's settled opening pair is Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. On 21 October, before the series started, Iyer said Sooryavanshi "can't just walk straight into the team" and has "many more years ahead" (Khaleej Times, DNA, CricketTimes). That comment started a "will he play?" debate.
Samson then made 67 off 33 balls in the 1st T20I, so the team had no reason to break up the opening pair. Kishan's injury opened a middle-order spot instead, and India put their most destructive young batter into it. No. 3 still gets him in early. In this match he walked in once Samson fell in the chase.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi age and date of birth
He was born on 27 March 2011 in Tajpur, Samastipur district, Bihar, which makes him 15 years and 211 days old on 24 October 2026. Wikipedia notes some dispute over his official date of birth. As of 24 October 2026 we had found no official ruling on it, so we use the date that the records list.
His nickname is "Boss Baby" and his cricketing idol is Brian Lara. He's a left-handed batter who bowls part-time left-arm spin.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi T20I stats
He made his T20I debut against England at Manchester on 4 July 2026, aged 15 years 99 days. That made him India's youngest men's T20I debutant, ahead of Washington Sundar. He made 14 off 10 balls and was stumped off Will Jacks, the first Indian to be stumped on T20I debut (WION, Zee News).
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike rate | 50s | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20I (before 24 Oct 2026) | 8 | 246 | 30.75 | 186.36 | 2 | 81 |
| 2nd T20I v NZ, 24 Oct 2026 | 1 | 4 | – | – | 0 | 4 |
| T20I total (provisional) | 9 | about 250 | to be confirmed | to be confirmed | 2 | 81 |
Source: ESPNcricinfo player profile for the pre-match line. The provisional total is our own count. As of 24 October 2026, 3:12 PM, the number of balls he faced in Christchurch wasn't confirmed, so his updated average and strike rate are left blank. We'll fill them in once the scorecard is final.
His highest score so far is 81 against Zimbabwe in Harare on 25 July 2026. Earlier on that tour he hit a 19-ball fifty, reported as the youngest fifty in senior international cricket, and he was Player of the Series.
IPL record: from ₹1.1 crore teenager to Orange Cap
- Auction, November 2024: Rajasthan Royals signed him for ₹1.1 crore, which made him the youngest player ever given an IPL contract.
- Debut, 19 April 2025: He became the youngest player to appear in the IPL.
- 28 April 2025: He scored 101 off 38 balls against Gujarat Titans at 14 years 32 days, making him the youngest IPL centurion. He reached the hundred in 35 balls, the fastest IPL hundred by an Indian.
- IPL 2026: He won the Orange Cap with 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.30. He was the youngest player ever to win it, and he also took the MVP and Emerging Player awards. He broke Chris Gayle's single-season sixes record of 59 from 2012. Reports differ on his final total: some say 64 and others 72. He also made 103 off 37 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad (Rajasthan Royals). RR also marked him as the first Indian to hit 50 sixes in one IPL season.
His official franchise page is the Rajasthan Royals player profile.
Other records and milestones
Domestic and youth cricket
- First-class debut: January 2024 for Bihar against Mumbai, at 12 years 284 days.
- List A: 190 off 84 balls against Arunachal Pradesh in December 2025, which made him the youngest List A centurion.
- U19 World Cup 2026 final: 175 off 80 balls against England in Harare, with 15 fours and 15 sixes. India won and he was Player of the Tournament (Gulf News). He also holds the record for the most sixes in Youth ODIs (Gulf News).
- All T20s: 1,708 runs at a strike rate of 215 as of 1 October 2026 (NewsBytes).
2026 honours
- Asian Games 2026 gold (Aichi–Nagoya): India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the final on 3 October. That was his last T20I before this series. Global Indian reports call him the youngest Indian to win Asian Games gold, though we haven't confirmed it elsewhere. It was a team gold.
- TIME100 Next 2026: At 15 he was the youngest name on the list, in the "Phenom" category, and the only Indian athlete (Business Today, Gulf News).
- Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar in 2025.
Why isn't he playing the Ranji Trophy, and what about his Class 10 exams?
He isn't in Bihar's first Ranji Trophy 2026-27 squad because he's on India duty. Reports are clear that he wasn't dropped (Sportsdunia, updated 11 October).
Cricket also clashed with his schooling. He was marked absent from his Class 10 CBSE board exams, and his family has said he'll take them next year (Gulf News).
IND vs NZ T20I series 2026: schedule and where to watch
- Format: 5 T20Is from 22 October to 1 November 2026. Every match starts at 12:30 PM IST (ESPNcricinfo schedule).
- 1st T20I, 22 October, Christchurch: India chased 226 and won by 4 wickets with 2 balls to spare, a chase reports call a record. Samson made 67 off 33 and Naman Dhir 42* off 15. You can read more about Dhir in our Naman Dhir profile.
- 2nd T20I, 24 October, Christchurch: New Zealand made 180/5. Sooryavanshi made 4 at No. 3. The result was pending at our last check. India went into this game leading 1-0.
- 3rd T20I, 27 October: Sky Stadium, Wellington, 12:30 PM IST.
- 4th and 5th T20Is: Auckland and Hamilton, ending on 1 November.
- Where to watch in India: Sony Sports Network on TV and SonyLIV for streaming. Our SonyLIV plans guide for India vs New Zealand compares the plans. One Hindi outlet reports a free telecast on DD Sports, but we haven't confirmed that.
- India's squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav (ICC).
The host board is New Zealand Cricket. India's official updates come from the BCCI. We found no new BCCI statement on squad changes as of 24 October 2026.
Sooryavanshi or Suryavanshi: which spelling is right?
ESPNcricinfo, Wikipedia and Rajasthan Royals' news pages use "Sooryavanshi". "Suryavanshi" is a common alternative, and RR's own profile URL uses it. Both refer to the same player. In Hindi his name is written वैभव सूर्यवंशी.
वैभव सूर्यवंशी: हिंदी में पूरी जानकारी
वैभव सूर्यवंशी का जन्म 27 मार्च 2011 को बिहार के समस्तीपुर ज़िले के ताजपुर में हुआ। 24 अक्टूबर 2026 को उनकी उम्र 15 साल 211 दिन है। विकिपीडिया के मुताबिक़ उनकी आधिकारिक जन्मतिथि पर कुछ विवाद है। वे बाएं हाथ के बल्लेबाज़ हैं।
24 अक्टूबर 2026 का मैच: क्राइस्टचर्च के हैगली ओवल में न्यूज़ीलैंड के ख़िलाफ़ दूसरे T20I में वैभव को घायल ईशान किशन की जगह प्लेइंग XI में चुना गया और उन्होंने नंबर 3 पर बल्लेबाज़ी की। न्यूज़ीलैंड ने 180/5 बनाए। 181 रन के लक्ष्य का पीछा करते हुए वैभव सिर्फ़ 4 रन बनाकर आउट हुए। उन्हें नाथन स्मिथ की गेंद पर डैरिल मिचेल ने कैच किया। 24 अक्टूबर 2026, दोपहर 3:12 बजे तक मैच का नतीजा कन्फ़र्म नहीं हुआ था।
आंकड़े: इस मैच से पहले उन्होंने 8 T20I में 186.36 के स्ट्राइक रेट से 246 रन बनाए थे, जिनमें दो अर्धशतक शामिल हैं और सबसे बड़ा स्कोर 81 है। 24 अक्टूबर 2026 के मैच के बाद उनके 9 T20I में लगभग 250 रन हैं। यह हमारा अपना हिसाब है और 24 अक्टूबर 2026 तक ESPNcricinfo से इसकी पुष्टि नहीं हुई थी। IPL 2026 में उन्होंने 776 रन बनाकर ऑरेंज कैप जीती और क्रिस गेल का एक सीज़न में 59 छक्कों का रिकॉर्ड तोड़ा।
रिकॉर्ड: 14 साल 32 दिन की उम्र में IPL शतक (गुजरात टाइटंस के ख़िलाफ़ 38 गेंदों पर 101 रन) बनाकर वे सबसे कम उम्र के IPL शतकवीर बने। U19 वर्ल्ड कप 2026 के फ़ाइनल में उन्होंने इंग्लैंड के ख़िलाफ़ 80 गेंदों पर 175 रन बनाए। न्यूज़ीलैंड में मैदान पर उतरने वाले वे अब तक के सबसे युवा खिलाड़ी हैं।
अगला मैच: तीसरा T20I 27 अक्टूबर 2026 को वेलिंगटन के स्काई स्टेडियम में दोपहर 12:30 बजे (IST) शुरू होगा। भारत में यह सीरीज़ टीवी पर Sony Sports Network और ऑनलाइन SonyLIV पर दिखाई जा रही है।
What to watch for next
The 3rd T20I is on 27 October 2026 at Sky Stadium, Wellington. After that, two more matches in Auckland and Hamilton finish the series by 1 November. Kishan's injury is described as minor, so the key question is whether India keep Sooryavanshi at No. 3 after a quiet 4 in Christchurch, or give the spot back to Kishan once he's fit. We'll update the stats table above after every innings and replace the provisional total once ESPNcricinfo confirms it. For more cricket and trending stories, visit the KyunTrend homepage.
Sources
- Rajasthan Royals: official player profile
- ICC: India's T20I squad
- India.com: 2nd T20I live blog
- ESPNcricinfo: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi player profile
- LatestLY: 2nd T20I toss report and playing XIs
- NewsDrum: Phillips and Jacobs take NZ to 180/5
- Khaleej Times: Iyer tells Sooryavanshi to be patient
- Wikipedia: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- UNI: 2nd T20I toss report
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