3 youngest cricketers to debut for India before Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

India is on the verge of witnessing another teenage sensation take the international stage. Young batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is reportedly in line to make his India debut during the upcoming series against Ireland, a move that has generated significant excitement among fans and experts alike.

The left-handed batter has impressed with his fearless approach and remarkable performances at the age-group and domestic levels, earning a well-deserved opportunity in the national setup. If he takes the field, Sooryavanshi will become the youngest male cricketer ever to represent India in international cricket.

Over the years, only a handful of players have donned the Indian jersey at an exceptionally young age and gone on to make a mark on the global stage.

Here are 3 youngest players to debut for India before Sooryavanshi: 

3. Sachin Tendulkar

The legendary batter Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar became the youngest player to play for India at that time when he debuted against Pakistan on November 15, 1989. His age at the time of his much anticipated debut was 16 years and 205 days.

After taking the domestic cricket world by storm for Mumbai, he was given a chance to represent India at the highest level. Sachin could only manage to score 19 runs across two innings in his debut match. But what followed was history for Indian cricket, as he went on to become the highest run-scorer in international cricket.

2. Richa Ghosh

The attacking batter Richa Ghosh made her debut in February 2020 against Australia Women in a T20I game. She was hyped as one of the hard hitters of the ball in the women’s game and was rewarded with an India cap for this series. She was just 16 years and 137 days old at that time, becoming the second youngest player to represent India at the international level. 

It was a very disappointing outing for Richa in her maiden taste of international cricket, scoring 17 runs in 23 balls. India eventually lost the match by 11 runs. But, since then, she has made her mark successfully on the big stage, also being part of the ODI World Cup-winning team in 2025.

 
1. Shafali Verma

The attacking opening batter Shafali Verma remains the youngest ever player to play for India at international cricket. She was just 15 years and 239 days old at the time of her debut. Shafali Verma played her debut match against South Africa on September 24, 2019, in a T20I game. 

Despite the hype around her debut, it was a disappointing outing for her. Shafali could not score a single run on her debut and was dismissed by Shabnim Ismail. But after that heartbreak, she has established herself as one of the most promising women’s cricketers of the last 10 years for India.