.jpg?type=hq)
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during his India U19 days. Credits- AFP
The mighty Indian team has lost their first T20I assignment after winning its second successive T20 World Cup title back home. As India lost to minnows Ireland, who fielded a squad with many regular players missing, many questions are being asked of the Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer-led team management, especially when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be unleashed.
The Men in Blue were found on the wrong foot in the first T20I at Belfast, when they failed to chase down 183 runs. In the second match, the bowlers did the job for the visitors, but the batting again disappointed as they tumbled while chasing 155 runs.
Despite India’s horror show with the bat in both T20Is, the 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi didn’t get a single chance.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi being fast-tracked after gung-ho IPL
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is coming off a gung-ho IPL 2026 season, where he slammed 776 runs at a never-before-seen strike rate of 237.31, after which he was fast-tracked to India A side as well as to the senior men’s team.
Also Read: New Low For Gautam Gambhir And Shreyas Iyer As Ireland Ends India's Juggernaut
The swashbuckling teenager has been included in India’s T20I team for the whole UK tour, along with the Asian Games 2026. However, he may not get his opportunity during the upcoming five-match T20I series in England.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not to debut in England
While confirming the same, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is ready to play for India, but not at the expense of dropping Sanju Samson, who was the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2026.
"He (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi)'s absolutely ready to play international cricket, there's no doubt about that, but I think it's not a question of saying you can leave Sanju Samson out. A guy who went a long way to winning India the World Cup three months ago. A guy who's had a fairly good IPL, Ryan ten Doeschate stated at the press conference after India’s 0-2 defeat to Ireland.
Although Samson was dismissed in single digits in both outings vs Ireland, the Indian coach talked about giving his players confidence.
Notably, the wicketkeeper had a reasonable IPL campaign for CSK, where he racked up close to 500 runs in the season, including two daddy hundreds.
"It's important in terms of giving players confidence, and the message we're sending to players. We want to give guys a long run in the team. So, you know, as ready as Vaibhav is and as excited as we are and you are to see him play, he's going to have to go through the same process as everyone else and, you know, bide his time and wait. But certainly no questions about how good he is and how ready he is."
Pressure on India's top 3 before England T20Is
Ahead of the two-match series against Ireland, there were speculations that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could get a nod ahead of Abhishek Sharma, who is also a left-handed opening batter. However, the team management backed the trusted opening pair of Sharma and Samson.
Although Sharma scored a blistering 49-run knock in the first T20I, he bagged a golden duck in the defeat in the second match. Additionally, there would be pressure on the number 3 Ishan Kishan as well, after scoring just 13 runs in two outings.
Nevertheless, India will kick off the England tour with the five-match T20I series, starting from July 1 at Chester-le-Street. After that, the Men in Blue, under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, will also field for three ODIs between July 14 and 19.
Also Read: Ben Stokes Retires, India Women Out, Deepti Sharma Record- June 28 Cricket Highlights
