The 15-year-old batting sensation aibhav Sooryavanshi on Tuesday achieved another milestone after receiving his first senior Team India jersey ahead of the upcoming T20I series against Ireland. Team India youngster, who recently earned a maiden call-up to India’s national T20 squad, was presented with the jersey by the team’s throwdown specialist Raghu in an emotional moment captured by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
A video shared by the cricket board showed an overwhelmed Sooryavanshi receiving the jersey bearing the number ’03’, a number previously worn by Indian cricket stalwarts Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina.
Reacting to the milestone, the young batter admitted that the feeling was difficult to describe. “I mean, words cannot explain it. The reason I picked up a bat from day one and went to the cricket ground to practice. Today, that dream was fulfilled, and the biggest step in that journey was completed. I truly cannot put this feeling into words,” Sooryavanshi said.
The youngster added that seeing the jersey for the first time left him smiling uncontrollably. “It felt just like a dream, and the moment I saw that t-shirt, I couldn’t stop smiling,” he said.
Sooryavanshi also revealed that he struggled to process the moment when the jersey was delivered to his hotel room. “Sometimes, something happens that you never even imagined could happen, and when it finally does, you don’t know how to react. That was exactly how I felt,” he added.
The Bihar-born batter has emerged as one of India’s most exciting young talents after impressing with a string of explosive performances. His performances earned him a promotion to the senior national side for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England.
Despite his selection, Sooryavanshi faces stiff competition for a place in the playing XI, with established names such as Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan also in contention for the opening spots.
Nevertheless, receiving the India jersey marks a landmark moment in the teenager’s journey and brings him one step closer to making his international debut.