Vaibhav Sooryavanshi makes 14-run international debut – What Kohli, Dhoni and Sachin scored in their first match

Replacing Sanju Samson in the starting lineup, the Bihar teenager showed absolutely zero nerves. Facing England’s elite pace attack, Sooryavanshi announced himself by pulling a massive six off Jofra Archer over the wicketkeeper’s head, following it up with another spectacular maximum off Josh Tongue into the midwicket stands. His fearless cameo eventually ended at 14 runs off 10 balls, beaten in flight and stumped by Jos Buttler off the bowling of Will Jacks.

While a score of 14 might look modest on a scorecard, history shows that debut matches are rarely indicative of the legendary careers that follow. Some of the greatest icons in Indian cricket history—including Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli—had remarkably quiet, and sometimes disastrous, international introductions.

Here is a look at how India’s holy trinity performed in their very first international appearances:

1. Sachin Tendulkar: 15 runs vs Pakistan (November 15, 1989)
Format: Test Match (Karachi)
Age at Debut: 16 years, 205 days
The Debut Innings: Long before Sooryavanshi broke his record, a curly-haired 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar walked into a Karachi cauldron to face a ferocious Pakistan bowling attack comprising Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and a debuting Waqar Younis. Batting at number six, Sachin fought through a hostile spell, hitting two elegant boundaries before being clean-bowled by Waqar Younis for 15 runs off 24 balls. Ironically, just like Sooryavanshi, Sachin’s historic debut yielded just a shade over a dozen runs before a fellow debutant got him out.

2. MS Dhoni: 0 runs vs Bangladesh (December 23, 2004)
Format: ODI (Chittagong)
Age at Debut: 23 years, 169 days
The Debut Innings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s international career began with what is arguably the most famous anti-climax in Indian cricket history. Entering the fray at number seven with immense domestic hype surrounding his big-hitting capabilities, Dhoni faced just a single delivery. He flicked the ball toward the fine-leg region and set off for a single, only to be run out well short of his crease after a mix-up with non-striker Mohammad Kaif. He was out for a golden duck (0 off 1 ball), a nightmare start for the man who would eventually go on to win three ICC trophies for India.

3. Virat Kohli: 12 runs vs Sri Lanka (August 18, 2008)
Format: ODI (Dambulla)
Age at Debut: 19 years, 287 days
The Debut Innings: Fresh off leading the India U-19 team to a World Cup title, a young, chubby-cheeked Virat Kohli was fast-tracked into the senior side as an opening batter due to injuries to Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Facing a lethal Sri Lankan bowling unit, Kohli struggled to find his rhythm on a slow Dambulla track. He labored for 22 balls, scratching his way to 12 runs with a single boundary, before being trapped dead in front of the stumps, leg-before-wicket (LBW), by veteran medium-pacer Nuwan Kulasekara.

Debut Score Comparison

The table below demonstrates that elite beginnings are rarely smooth, placing Sooryavanshi’s fiery 14-run cameo into a much broader, reassuring historical context: