India's Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to use own changing room on England tour
The Changing Room Conundrum
India's teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be required to use his own changing room for safeguarding reasons on his first international tour in England this summer.
Sooryavanshi's Historic Tour
The 15-year-old is expected to make history by becoming India's youngest international cricketer on Friday in a T20 international against Ireland in Belfast, before playing in a five-match T20 series against England, which begins in Durham next Wednesday.
The Data Behind Sooryavanshi's Rise
- Sooryavanshi has made an extraordinary impact on global cricket since his IPL debut as a 14-year-old last year.
- He scored 252 runs at a strike rate of 206.5 for Rajasthan in his debut season.
- He became the youngest centurion in men's T20 cricket with a hundred off just 38 balls.
- He was the highest scorer in this year's IPL with 776 runs and broke Chris Gayle's 14-year-old record for hitting the most sixes in a season, finishing with 65.
The Impact of Safeguarding Regulations
The England series is an International Cricket Council event and the governing body's safeguarding procedures will be in force, along with those of the England and Wales Cricket Board. The Guardian has learned that both bodies prohibit under 16s using adult changing rooms, so Sooryavanshi will have his own facilities at all venues, while his parents are also understood to be accompanying him on the tour.
The Future Outlook
Sooryavanshi will be permitted in the India dressing room during the game and can attend team talks, with the restriction only applying when he is getting changed before and after each match. The ECB is working closely with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and all five T20 venues to ensure the appropriate measures are in place.