Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Agency Image)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s meteoric rise has made him one of the most exciting young prospects in Indian cricket, with the 15-year-old continuing to attract widespread attention after a sensational run over the past few months. His fearless approach first grabbed headlines during IPL 2026, where he amassed 776 runs for the Rajasthan Royals while taking on some of the world’s premier bowlers with remarkable confidence.The teenager further strengthened his credentials in the India A tri-series final against Sri Lanka A, producing one of the most destructive innings in List A cricket. Sooryavanshi hammered 94 off only 29 deliveries, reaching his fifty in just 11 balls to register the fastest half-century in the format’s history.Those performances earned him his maiden call-up to India’s senior T20I squad for the ongoing tour of Ireland, marking another significant milestone in his rapidly developing career. Although many expected him to make his international debut in the opening T20I, the Indian team management opted to stick with the opening pair that played a key role in the country’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph.Despite missing out on a place in the playing XI, Sooryavanshi has already made a strong impression within the Indian dressing room. Opener Abhishek Sharma revealed that the squad has gone out of its way to ensure the youngster feels welcome and highlighted his eagerness to absorb as much knowledge as possible.“As a team, I think it’s our responsibility to make him comfortable. And obviously he is a young guy and what I felt, he is very curious to play all the time. He is just learning right now. He asks questions, so I feel he has that in himself, where he wants to learn a lot of things, and obviously it’s a dream for him too. So we are trying our best to make him feel that he belongs in the group,” Abhishek told reporters after the first T20I.India’s decision to leave Sooryavanshi on the bench came as they backed their established opening combination for the series opener at Stormont. However, the move failed to deliver the desired result as Ireland defended 182 successfully, restricting India to 148 with seven balls remaining to claim a 34-run victory.Abhishek Sharma provided the lone spark for India at the top of the order with a blistering 20-ball half-century, but the rest of the batting unit struggled against Ireland’s disciplined bowling attack. Shivam Dube’s 25 was the next-highest contribution as India’s chase never truly gathered momentum, leading to renewed calls for Sooryavanshi to be handed his debut in the second and final T20I.

Spain winger Nico Williams could potentially miss the remainder of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after he limped off injured during their 1-0 win over 10-man Uruguay. The two sides locked horns in their World Cup Group H clash at the Guadalajara Stadium on Friday, June 26.

Having recovered from a muscle injury just before the start of the FIFA World Cup, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente chose not to risk Williams, naming him on the bench for all their group stage games. With La Roja winning 1-0 against Uruguay, De La Fuente subbed on Williams in the 76th minute in place of Lamine Yamal to make an impact.

Unfortunately for the Spaniards, Williams suffered another injury and was spotted leaving the stadium after full-time in discomfort. As per MARCA (h/t The Touchline), the 23-year-old’s World Cup participation is reportedly at risk.

De La Fuente shared an update on Williams, as well as Yeremi Pino, who suffered a shoulder injury, stating (via NDTV Sports):

“Nico was experiencing some slight discomfort. It could be a strain or just fatigue, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to know for sure. However, and I am really sad about this, what really concerns me is Yeremy’s injury. It looks bad and there is a very strong possibility he will miss the rest of the tournament.”

Pino’s and Williams’ injuries will be a massive blow for Spain. La Roja are currently short on options down the wing, with Yamal still not at full fitness and Victor Munoz suffering a setback from a muscle issue.

Spain defeat Uruguay in FIFA World Cup clash to qualify for Round of 32

Spain weren’t at their best, but they did enough to secure a 1-0 win over Uruguay to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 stage. La Roja finished at the top of Group H with seven points, having picked up two wins and one draw.

Despite an evenly-contested first half, Uruguay found themselves trailing in the 42nd minute when Alex Baena fired home, taking full advantage of Fernando Muslera’s error in goal. Spain controlled the tempo of the game after taking the lead and secured the three points, with Uruguay’s Agustin Canobbio being sent off in the fourth minute of stoppage time for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi.

Meanwhile, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia have been eliminated from the FIFA World Cup after finishing third and fourth in Group H, respectively. Cabo Verde have progressed to the Round of 32, after finishing in second place with three points.