‘He’ll be tired’: Michael Vaughan spots one weakness in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s game

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI Photo) Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already changed the way teams approach T20 batting, but feels the 15-year-old still needs to improve one aspect of his game before he makes his mark across all formats.Speaking on Ajinkya Rahane’s YouTube channel ahead of India’s five-match T20I series against England starting July 1 in Durham, Vaughan suggested that England take advantage of the physicality of the fielding game by asking India to bowl first whenever they win the toss. According to him, Sooryavanshi’s biggest challenge at the international level will be to spend an entire innings on the field before starting to bat.“One thing he will have to deal with is his fielding. There is no impact submarine where he can sit on the bench. If I were England, I would ask India to field first because by the time Sooryavanshi comes to bat, he might be tired,” said Michael Vaughan on Ajinkya Rahane’s YouTube channel.Vaughan’s observation comes after Rajasthan Royals often used Sooryavanshi as an Impact Player during IPL 2026, limiting his time on the field. The move reportedly surprised the youngster himself, with one of the franchise’s coaches revealing that Sooryavanshi is very proud of his fielding abilities.Despite Vaughan’s misgivings, Sooryavanshi showed his willingness to spend long hours in the field. The youngster featured heavily during the Under-19 World Cup and the recent Tri-Nation A series, although India A came first in each of those matches.Apart from emphasizing the fielding aspect, Vaughan was full of admiration for the left-handed batsman’s fearless approach, claiming that Sooryavanshi has redefined expectations in T20 cricket.“There’s only one name being talked about here and that’s a 15-year-old kid. I think T20 cricket, especially through Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, has taken the game to 230, which is a par score. I think that’s the norm now; teams want to get more than 230. The opening messages are almost worse than ever. The remaining 5 years are tougher than ever. That T20 cricket can go to another level.” said the former England captain.Sooryavanshi did not feature in India’s opening T20I against Ireland on Friday, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson preferred at the top of the order. The teenager is still awaiting his international debut and could become India’s youngest ever T20I debutant if the team management decides to rotate the squad during the England series.The 15-year-old enjoyed a remarkable 2026, spearheaded by a match-winning 175 in the U-19 World Cup final, before amassing 776 runs for Rajasthan Royals in a breakthrough IPL campaign.

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