Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma Turn Rivals Before IND Vs IRE 1st T20I

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma Turn Rivals [Source: AFP]

India's destructive batters- Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shared an epic moment of rivalry ahead of the first T20I against Ireland. 

India's highly anticipated tour of Ireland commences on June 26, with both teams set to take on each other in the T20I series opener at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast. 

Led by Shreyas Iyer, India have a happy headache leading up to the Ireland series, with the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi auditioning for limited slots at the top order. 

Ahead of the first T20I between India and Ireland, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma took the field as rivals, albeit in a casual manner. 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shows his bowling skills before IND Vs IRE 1st T20I

Young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned the reputation of a fearless striker, having stunned the cricket fraternity with his fireworks. 

Be it the IPL 2026 or the recently held Tri-Nation A series in Sri Lanka, Sooryavanshi has exhibited his readiness to take on the biggest of opponents in international cricket. 

While the fans are excited to witness his batting prowess in Ireland, Sooryavanshi showed his bowling skills during one of India's net sessions ahead of the T20I series opener in Belfast. 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi challenges Abhishek Sharma in epic face-off

Interestingly, his opponent was none other than established Indian opener and one of his biggest competitors, Abhishek Sharma. 

In a video shared by Ray Sportz Cricket, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was seen rolling his arms, with Abhishek Sharma facing his left-arm off-spin at the striker's end. 

Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Slogging Humiliates Him Before India Debut

Sooryavanshi bowled a good length delivery, as Abhishek played a lofted shot in a bid to dominate the part-timer. 

Indian Cricket Ministry

@Tejashyyyyyy

🚨 Cute argument between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was bowling to Abhishek Sharma in the nets. Every time Abhishek played a lofted shot, Vaibhav appealed for a wicket. He kept shouting "wicket" every time, while Abhishek kept denying it. 😭

Jun 26, 2026, 10:46 AM

However, he seemingly mistimed the shot, as Sooryavanshi as well as India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule adjudged him out, despite the batter claiming to have hit a six. 

Thus, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi engaged in a banter with Abhishek Sharma, who would be keen to sustain his purple patch following a sensational IPL 2026 campaign for Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

How can Abhishek Sharma block Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's India debut?

After a torrid run in the T20 World Cup 2026, where he managed only 141 runs at an average of 17.63, Abhishek Sharma made a remarkable comeback in the IPL 2026. Representing SRH, Abhishek smashed 563 runs at an average of 40.21 and a strike rate of 204.73. 

Apart from his red-hot recent form, Abhishek's overall performance for Team India makes him a strong contender to open the batting alongside Sanju Samson in the T20I series against Ireland. 

Abhishek Sharma has played 46 T20Is for India, amassing 1438 runs, including two hundreds and ten fifties, at a superb strike rate of 190.5. 

As Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is also a left-handed batter, Abhishek is his direct competitor for the opening slot in India's playing XI. 

Therefore, although Sooryavanshi showcased remarkable skill and consistency in the IPL and is poised for a highly anticipated India debut, it will be a tough task for him to break into the Indian playing XI, unless Abhishek Sharma sustains a last-minute injury and gets sidelined from the opening encounter in Belfast. 

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