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However, some milestones do not get broken for ages in Indian cricket, but one record which was unbroken for over three decades is that of Sachin Tendulkar who was named the youngest Player of the Match of India. This record remained safe until an emerging teenager from Bihar broke the record by putting up an exceptional performance in a T20I match against Zimbabwe to bag the Player of the Match and Player of the Series accolades.

 

Here are five youngest Indian cricketers who became Player of the Match in their teenage years, while Sooryavanshi takes the No. 1 spot on this list, several other legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Ravi Shastri, and Yuvraj Singh became Player of the Match in their teens.

 

Youngest Players to Win Player of the Match for India

 

5. Yuvraj Singh – 18 Years, 300 Days

 

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Yuvraj Singh earned his maiden Player of the Match award during the ICC KnockOut Trophy quarter-final against Australia in Nairobi in October 2000. Walking in after India had lost Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid, the left-hander played with fearless intent.

 

His 84 off 80 deliveries, featuring 12 boundaries, came against a world-class attack led by Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee. The innings marked the arrival of one of India's biggest match-winners.

 

Also Read | Top 5 Youngest Players Ever to Debut in IPL

 

4. Ravi Shastri – 18 Years, 295 Days

 

 

Ravi Shastri did not take long to make an impression after making his international debut in 1981. In his third Test match against New Zealand in Auckland, Ravi put up an outstanding bowling performance and took seven wickets to become the winner of the Player of the Match Award. This feat earned him the status of being the youngest Player of the Match Award winner for India. This record was broken by Sachin Tendulkar around ten years later.

 

3. Sachin Tendulkar – 17 Years, 225 Days

 

 

Sachin Tendulkar collected his first ODI Player of the Match award against Sri Lanka in Pune in December 1990. The teenage batting prodigy delivered an impressive all-round display, highlighted by his maiden ODI half-century, which guided India to victory.

 

It was another milestone in the early stages of a career that would eventually redefine batting records across international cricket.

 

2. Sachin Tendulkar – 17 Years, 112 Days

 

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Only weeks before his first ODI Player of the Match award, Tendulkar had already etched his name into history during the second Test against England at Old Trafford. At just 17 years and 112 days, he scored his maiden Test century, becoming one of the youngest players ever to register a Test hundred.

 

That memorable innings also earned him his first Player of the Match award, setting a benchmark that survived for 37 years.

 

1. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – 15 Years, 121 Days

 

 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made history in the third T20I of the series against Zimbabwe in Harare on July 26, 2026. The young opener made 81 runs off just 49 balls and helped India win the match to get the Player of the Match award for the first time in his career.

 

Sooryavanshi ended up with a total of 151 runs in the three-match series with a spectacular strike rate of 196.10 and got the Player of the Series award.

 

Also Read | Top 10 Youngest Players in IPL Auction History

 

Conclusion

 

Being Player of the Match at a young age is usually an indication of an exceptional player being born, and each of the players mentioned on this list went on to make their mark on Indian cricket history. Whether it was Ravi Shastri’s match-winning performance, Yuvraj Singh’s aggressive batting, or Sachin Tendulkar’s record breaking performance, each of the performances exhibited immense maturity.

 

And now Vaibhav Sooryavanshi joins this list of greats, by breaking the age-old record of Indian cricket. Given his initial performances, Indian cricket might well have unearthed another exceptional talent.