Teenage Sensation to Follow Safeguarding Protocols
India’s teenage cricket prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be required to use his own changing room during his first international tour in England this summer due to safeguarding regulations.
The 15-year-old is set to make history by becoming India’s youngest international cricketer on Friday in a T20 international against Ireland in Belfast. Following that, he will participate in a five-match T20 series against England, which commences in Durham next Wednesday.
Sooryavanshi is poised to break the record currently held by Sachin Tendulkar, who debuted in Test cricket at 16 years and 205 days old in 1989. He will also become the youngest international cricketer to represent a full member nation since Pakistan selected 14-year-old Hasan Raza for a one-day international against Bangladesh in 1996.
Safeguarding Rules and Changing Room Arrangements
The England series is governed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and its safeguarding procedures will be enforced alongside those of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
has learned that both the ICC and ECB prohibit players under 16 from using adult changing rooms. Consequently, Sooryavanshi will have access to separate changing facilities at all venues. It is also understood that his parents will accompany him throughout the tour.
During matches, Sooryavanshi will be allowed in the India dressing room and may attend team discussions. The restriction applies solely to changing before and after games.
Such safeguarding measures are standard practice in English sports. For example, Arsenal’s Max Dowman used a separate changing room until turning 16 last December. However, these protocols are new to Sooryavanshi, as they are not implemented in India.
Throughout his two impressive seasons in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Sooryavanshi used the same changing facilities as his Rajasthan Royals teammates.
The ECB is collaborating closely with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and all five T20 venues to ensure appropriate safeguarding measures are in place.
“This is an ICC event, with their safeguarding procedures active as they have jurisdiction,” the ECB confirmed in a statement to . “A safeguarding concern occurring during the event may (in some circumstances) be managed by the ICC. In addition to this, the ECB Safe Hands policy applies at all times.
“The Cricket Regulator is in contact with the Team Liaison Officer (TLO) for the Indian team to discuss requirements and expectations for the player while he is in the UK.
“Each County Safeguarding Officer for the relevant cricket venue is also working closely with the Team Liaison Officer to ensure venue protocols and arrangements (specifically changing room environments) are understood and adhered to. This is conducted via safeguarding risk assessments.
“It is our understanding that the player’s parents will be travelling with him at all times. They are staying in the same hotel, which is outside of usual protocol, but agreed on this occasion due to his age.
“This additional measure provides us with further confidence that he has family members that can provide the additional level of support and care.”
Sooryavanshi’s Remarkable Career and Preparations
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made a significant impact on international cricket since his IPL debut at age 14 last year. In his debut season for Rajasthan Royals, he scored 252 runs at a strike rate of 206.5, becoming the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket with a hundred off just 38 balls.
In the current IPL season, he was the highest run-scorer with 776 runs and surpassed Chris Gayle’s 14-year-old record for the most sixes in a single season, finishing with 65 sixes.
To prepare for the England tour, Sooryavanshi made five appearances for India A this month. This week, he scored an impressive 94 runs off 29 balls against Sri Lanka A, including the fastest List A fifty, achieved in just 11 balls.
Upcoming Matches and Jurisdictional Details
India will play two T20 matches against Ireland on Friday and Sunday before traveling to England. However, the safeguarding regulations requiring separate changing rooms are not expected to apply in Belfast, as those matches fall under the jurisdiction of Cricket Ireland.
