Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will use a seperate dressing room in the IND vs ENG series?
At the moment, India’s 15-year-old batting sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, is the talk of the town. Sooryavanshi has captivated everyone with his batting prowess at such a young age, has already earned his India cap, and is now eagerly awaiting his debut. He is currently touring Ireland with India’s T20I side, and there is a strong possibility of him making his debut in the first T20I scheduled for June 26 at Belfast.
Following his stellar performances in the IPL (2025, 2026), the Under-19 World Cup, and domestic matches, the conversation everywhere is centred on his impending debut. Amidst this, a specific rule concerning Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also become a topic of discussion; under this rule, he will be provided with a separate dressing room during the England tour.
This arrangement is being made in compliance with the ICC's safeguarding (child protection) regulations. According to the rules of the ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), players under the age of 16 cannot share a dressing room with senior players.
However, he is fully permitted to be in the main dressing room for team meetings, pre-match warm-ups, tactical briefings, and general match-day interactions. But when changing into kit or showering, he must use a completely separate, private facility designated by the venue, or use the main room entirely alone at a strictly scheduled time before the rest of the squad enters.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) cannot take part in this decision because it is a bilateral series not overseen by the highest authority.
"The safeguarding regulations don't apply to a bilateral series. The India versus England series is not an ICC event, and there are no specific regulations around U16 cricketers," a source close to developments told the news portal. "This is clearly a UK law, and the ICC does not have any say in this matter," the report added.
A representative for Cricket Ireland also affirmed that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Ireland tour will also follow the same rules regarding changing rooms.
"The Indian team have been given three separate rooms in the pavilion, and safeguarding laws have been advised," the Cricket Ireland spokesperson said. "We'll check that all obligations have been met, but the BCCI will manage things in accordance with UK law. Our procedures and policies are in line with best practice in the UK."
India vs Ireland 2-match T20I series is set to be scheduled from June 26 in Belfast. The 2nd T20I will be played on June 28 at the same venue. India’s tour of England will start on July 1. It will be very fascinating to see whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his international debut on June 26 or if he will wait for some time.
If he gets an opportunity to make his international debut against Ireland on June 26, he will become the youngest Indian cricketer to represent the national team in international cricket. The current record is held by Sachin Tendulkar, who made his international debut against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 238 days.
Additionally, Vaibhav would become the second-youngest player ever to make an international debut. The record belongs to Hasan Raza, who represented Pakistan against Zimbabwe in 1996 at the age of just 14 years and 233 days.
