Shreyas Iyer closes T20I door on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: He has no chance to walk in
India captain Shreyas Iyer has made it clear that teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his opportunities in the T20I squad, with established openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson continuing at the top of the order.
Sooryavanshi, who was selected for India’s tour of England and Ireland earlier this year, has appeared in only eight of the 21 T20Is the team has played so far. Despite his reputation as one of India’s most exciting young batting talents, the 15-year-old is finding it difficult to secure a regular place in the playing XI, with Abhishek and Samson holding tight to their opening slots.
Ahead of India’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Iyer stressed that Sooryavanshi’s talent is not in doubt, but said the teenager cannot expect to walk straight into the team while the current openers are performing consistently.
“It is important that a talent like him (Sooryavanshi) is always happy in the dressing room,” Iyer said.
“He’s very young, he’s got more years to get opportunities. It’s not like he can come in now because our openers are scoring regularly and have won the World Cup.”
Abhishek and Samson played important roles in India’s successful T20 World Cup title defense at the beginning of this year they strengthen their position at the top of the ranking. For Sooryavanshi, this means waiting for an opening on the side where the established pair will continue.
WHAT IS THE MESSAGE FOR VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI?
Sooryavanshi was given the opportunity to open the innings at the Asian Games where Samson moved to No.3 to accommodate the teenager. The youngster has scored 53 runs in two matches at a strike rate of 176.66, which offers a glimpse of his attacking potential.
However, he returned to the bench for the entire T20I series against the West Indies, raising questions about when he might get a longer run in the side.
Iyer said he repeatedly encouraged Sooryavanshi to remain patient and trust his preparation rather than getting frustrated by the lack of opportunities.
“I’m just telling him you’ll get an opportunity if you’re consistent in your processes, you’ll have to wait sometimes, we’ve got two fantastic openers, that’s the conversation we had with Vaibhav,” Iyer said after the fifth T20I against the West Indies was bowled out.
The series ended in a 2–2 draw, with Iyer admitting that India could have secured a different result if they had played better in the second and fourth matches. He also praised West Indies captain Shai Hope for his batting throughout the series.
GAMBHIR ASKS VAIBHAV TO BE PATIENT
Iyer’s comments echo the message given by head coach Gautam Gambhir when asked about Sooryavanshi’s absence from the playing XI during India’s T20I series against Afghanistan.
Gambhir said the teenager will have to wait for his opportunity despite the promise he has shown, adding that players who have performed consistently over a longer period will naturally stay ahead in selection.
“From Vaibhav’s point of view, it’s again a very clear conversation that he has to wait for his opportunity. We know the kind of talent he has. We know what he can do. But again, someone who has done extremely well for a number of years is obviously always going to be ahead of someone who has made the team. Whenever he gets that opportunity, you will have a longer run,” Gambhir said.
The India coach also emphasized that competition for placement was an important part of international cricket irrespective of a player’s age.
“And that’s what Indian cricket is about. We want the competition, we want that talent in the dressing room. But sometimes that’s the way it goes in cricket. Whether it’s a 15-year-old or a 30-year-old, you have to wait for the opportunity.”
For Sooryavanshi, the immediate challenge is to stay ready for his next chance while continuing to learn from the senior players around him. Iyer also pointed out the value of exposing the youngster to overseas conditions and said the experience would help prepare him for future assignments.
“So seeing that when he comes overseas, he will get a good idea of how to play those particular wickets,” Iyer said.
“Next time, whenever he comes in these conditions, he will be very well prepared. And he can also instruct the other team members who come here for the first time.
India are now all set to travel to New Zealand for the T20I leg of their tour starting on October 22. With Abhishek and Samson continuing to occupy the opening positions, Sooryavanshi’s wait for a regular place in the senior group is likely to continue.
– The end