‘I won’t play him’: India’s World Cup winner’s big verdict on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of India Vs. England 1st T20I

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: England have already named their playing XI for the opening T20I against India, with star fast bowler Jofra Archer missing the match at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street, Durham.The focus now shifts to Indian captain Shreyas Iyer who will announce the Indian playing XI at the toss. Will India stick with the same team that lost the T20I series to Ireland? Or will teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finally make his international debut?

Srikkanth names his India XI

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth has picked the XI he wants to see in the first T20I against England.After India’s disappointing 0-2 series defeat to Ireland, Srikkanth believes Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube should be in the batting line-up.He also supported the return of Varun Chakravarthy alongside Axar Patel as the two spin options, while Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav and Arshdeep Singh completed his pace attack.Kris Srikkanth’s India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy.

“Vaibhav should have played against Ireland”

Srikkanth believes Sooryavanshi missed a big opportunity in the second T20I against Ireland.The 15-year-old earned a call-up to India after a sensational IPL 2026 where he scored 776 runs in 16 matches for Rajasthan Royals at a strike rate of 237.30 and helped the team reach the play-offs.“He (Suryavanshi) should have 100% played the second T20I against Ireland. Abhishek Sharma should have rested because he got a brilliant 50 in the first match. Suryavanshi should have played instead. Anyway, Abhishek Sharma is a certainty so Vaibhav Suryavanshi could have got a chance to play on his YouTube channel in the second match in Ireland.

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Why Srikkanth does not want changes now

While he wanted Sooryavanshi to play in Ireland, Srikkanth feels that India should not change the opening combination at the start of the England series.“If you know, he could have won them because he did well in tough conditions in the IPL. But now that he hasn’t played against Ireland, I won’t play him in the first two T20Is against England,” he said.