Abhishek Sharma’s Father Reacts To Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Being Snubbed For His Son

Abhishek Sharma's father on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi [Source: AFP, BCCI/X.com]

The much-anticipated India tour of Ireland got underway on Friday afternoon in Belfast as the newly appointed captain, Shreyas Iyer, won the toss for India and elected to bowl first. The aforementioned anticipation was due to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s inclusion in the squad as the youngest Indian ever.

On the back of a swashbuckling IPL 2026 season, Sooryavanshi forced his way into the squad for this series as well as the India tour of England in July. However, Iyer and the team management decided to go with the undisputed opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma for the series opener.

As Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson retained their spots in the team and kept Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the bench, Abhishek’s father was quick to react to it as he openly spoke about the 15-year-old’s future.

Why is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not playing vs Ireland?

At his first toss as India’s T20I captain, as expected by everyone, the first question Shreyas Iyer was asked was whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made the cut for the first playing XI of the series.

Iyer revealed that they are looking to back the tried and tested performers in Abhishek and Samson for this match and that Sooryavanshi would eventually get his due when the timing is perfect.

“Unfortunately, no. He's a gun player, but we have some tremendous players who have done well for us, so we are backing them. He will get his chance when the time comes," Iyer said at the toss.

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Abhishek Sharma’s father reacts to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s snub

Minutes after the toss, as the Men in Blue prepared to field first in Belfast, Abhishek Sharma’s father, Raj Kumar Sharma, opened up about a parent’s feeling of seeing their kids represent the country.

Despite Sooryavanshi potentially competing for his son’s position in the top-order, he looked secure and happy for the teenager breaking into the squad at this age. He spoke about talent in India and urged the nation to pray for Sooryavanshi to do well for the country at the international level.

“Every parent's greatest joy is to see their child play well and perform well. India is full of talent. In the coming years, many more talented players will emerge, perform even better, and help India win.”

“As a parent, I would urge all the Indians to pray and wish for this player [Vaibhav Sooryavanshi] and perform well for India,” he said to PTI.

Press Trust of India

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VIDEO | Ahead of the first T20I between India and Ireland, India batter Abhishek Sharma's father Raj Kumar Sharma says, "Every parent's greatest joy is to see their child play well and perform well. India is full of talent. In the coming years, many more talented players will

Jun 26, 2026, 5:36 PM

Starboy Sooryavanshi carries drinks for India

India's young sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, is coming off a record-shattering IPL season, where he won the Orange Cap with a breathtaking 776 runs in the Rajasthan Royals' run to the Qualifier 2.

He was also picked for the India A One Day tri-series against Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, where he finished the tournament with 94(29) in the final. Now, this is the first time since the summer that he is a part of the squad but not involved in the thick of things.

When India took the field, he was seen carrying drinks alongside Ravi Bishnoi on the boundary. It will be interesting to see whether he plays the second and final T20I of the series or gets a nod in England in July. As things stand, he has well over a year to break Sachin Tendulkar's record as the youngest Indian men's cricketer.