After much anticipation and a delay that felt longer than before, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finally made his India debut on Saturday, becoming the youngest player to represent the country in international cricket when he took the field in the second T20I against England at Old Trafford in Manchester.The 15-year-old from Bihar’s Samastipur district broke a record that belonged to: Sachin Tendulkar for almost 37 years. Tendulkar made his India debut at 16 years and 205 days. Sooryavanshi did it in 15 years and 99 days.The similarity begins and ends with their age.Between Tendulkar’s debut in Karachi and Sooryavanshi’s first appearance for India in Manchester lies the story of how Indian cricket – and the world around it – changed.ALSO READ: Bethell broke Indian hearts with Sooryavanshi’s historic debut; England lead 1-0 Tendulkar arrived with a game built on defense and timing, shaped by Mumbai’s batting tradition. Sooryavanshi grew up in the T20 era, where attacking from the first ball was the norm and expected. The stage around them couldn’t be more different either.When Tendulkar made his debut against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989, the Indian television audience watched televised images. Sooryavanshi’s every move was tracked by high-definition cameras from the moment he landed in England.Tendulkar made his debut against an attack featuring Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Abdul Qadir.The world outside cricket is different too.The Berlin Wall still stands. The Soviet Union still exists. Rajiv Gandhi is the Prime Minister of India and will only step down after the Lok Sabha elections a few weeks ago. Economic liberalization under Manmohan Singh took more than a year.Tendulkar belongs to the age of floppy disks. Sooryavanshi belongs to a generation that grew up with Artificial Intelligence.Indian cricket has also changed.When Tendulkar debuted, India was still establishing its place in world cricket. Over the next three decades, the game became one of the biggest sports industries in the country, with Tendulkar at the center of much of the rise. Sooryavanshi walked in an Indian group that was established in the following years.Not since Tendulkar has a teenage cricketer come with this level of attention. Since landing in England, Sooryavanshi has been surrounded by fans looking for selfies.The biggest difference, however, is how fame is today.During Tendulkar’s debut, the internet was not a part of daily life in India. Today, almost everyone carries a smartphone. Every moment is photographed, recorded and shared instantly. The line between public figure and public property is becoming thin.Sooryavanshi’s journey in India has just begun, but the path he is taking is very different from the one Tendulkar first took in 1989.