‘I expected Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his debut’: Sunil Gavaskar questions India’s call after failure in Ireland

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (ANI Photo) NEW DELHI: Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar expressed surprise at Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s omission from the T20I series against Ireland and said the teenage batting sensation should be handed his international debut ahead of a tougher task in England.The 15-year-old, who enjoyed a sensational IPL 2026 campaign, remained on the bench for the entire two-match series as India slumped to a shock 0-2 defeat against Ireland, including a dramatic one-run loss in the second T20I.“I expected Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his debut in the Ireland series,” Gavaskar told India Today.“I thought he would play both the matches. That would be a very good way to help him in international cricket before the tougher Tests coming up,” he added.Gavaskar said he expected the team management to rotate the opening combination and allow Sooryavanshi to partner Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson during the series.“Unexpected when India went to Ireland. Because at that stage I honestly thought if Ireland weren’t seen as a real threat, they’d give young Suryavanshi a debut in the first match with either Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson. And one of them again in the second match. So he’ll play both matches,” he lamented.

“These are players that cannot be ignored”

Despite his absence in Belfast, Gavaskar believes it is only a matter of time before Sooryavanshi dons the India jersey.“He will definitely get his chance. These are the players you don’t ignore for too long. If not in Ireland, then in the England series, he should be next,” Gavaskar said.The former India captain expects the upcoming five-match T20I series in England to provide an ideal opportunity for the youngster to make his debut.“I think he will play in one of the games, if not all the games in England,” he said.Gavaskar also pointed to Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary exploits in domestic cricket as the reason for the excitement surrounding him.“We saw the other day who got to a half-century in List A cricket in just 11 deliveries, the fastest in List A cricket. Those are things that are unthinkable. They are things that are really, really very, very special,” Gavaskar said. “That’s why there’s excitement around him. That’s why there’s a belief that he should play. And that’s why there’s so much desire to see him in Indian colours.”The team management encourages patienceHowever, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate defended the decision to keep Sooryavanshi waiting despite insisting the teenager is ready for the top level.“He’s absolutely ready to play international cricket, there’s no doubt about that, but also Sanju Samson is a guy who came a long way to win us the World Cup three months ago,” Ten Doeschate said after India’s series defeat.The Dutchman emphasized that India wanted to keep faith with players who had already achieved success at the international level.“It is important to give the players confidence… We are all excited to see Vaibhav play but he has to go through the same process. There is certainly no doubt about how good he is.”With India now heading to England for a five-match T20I series starting on July 1, the focus on Sooryavanshi’s long-awaited debut is expected to intensify once again. If selected, the 15-year-old will become India’s youngest international cricketer, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record.