Father's Ancestral Land Sacrifice Leads to Son's India Cricket Selection
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, has been named in India's T20I squad for tours of Ireland and England after a record-breaking IPL 2026 season, with his father Sanjeev having sold ancestral land in Bihar years ago to fund his son's cricket training. Sanjeev used proceeds from the land sale to pay for coaching at an academy in Patna and to buy a car for the 90-kilometre daily commute from Samastipur. If selected in the playing XI, Vaibhav would become India's youngest international cricketer, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record set in 1989.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, aged 15, has been selected for India's senior T20I squad for the upcoming series against Ireland and England, making him the youngest player ever named in an Indian national squad. His father, Sanjeev Sooryavanshi, sold inherited ancestral land in Bihar — a deeply significant act in rural India where such property carries strong cultural and emotional weight — to finance his son's professional cricket coaching in Patna from an early age. The funds covered academy fees and the purchase of a car to manage the gruelling 90-kilometre commute on alternate days. Vaibhav capped a remarkable IPL 2026 campaign as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 776 runs, a strike rate of 237.30, one century, five half-centuries, and five individual awards including the Orange Cap and Most Valuable Player. He also played a key role in India's Under-19 World Cup triumph in 2026. Sanjeev told Times of India he has no regrets about selling the land, saying the respect and recognition his son is receiving far outweighs any material loss. The family plans to travel to the UK to witness what could be Vaibhav's historic debut, which would break Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record of debuting at 16 years and 205 days.
What's missing
The article does not specify the exact date or format of the upcoming Ireland and England T20I series, nor does it clarify whether Vaibhav has been confirmed in the playing XI or is simply part of the squad.
What different sources said
- Times of IndiaCenter
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: The sacrifice behind the sensation, ancestral land a father gave
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