Not just Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Shreyas Iyer says India’s senior citizens deserve support
The clamor for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s India debut continues to grow, but captain Shreyas Iyer believes the spotlight should not come at the expense of those who have already performed on the biggest stage. Ahead of the England T20I series, Iyer said India’s World Cup-winning seniors had earned the right to support despite the teenage sensation waiting in the wings.
The 15-year-old was overlooked again during India’s disappointing 2-0 T20I series defeat to Ireland, where all-rounder Suryansh Shedge and fast bowler Prince Yadav made their debuts instead. Ahead of the first T20I against England on Tuesday, Iyer defended the team management’s approach, insisting that every player in the current XI has earned their place with consistent performances.
“Every individual playing in the team has performed, it’s not just one individual who has done it,” Iyer said in the pre-match press conference.
“We have to provide opportunities for everyone and build safety so that every individual has confidence going into tournaments.”
The India captain also highlighted why the team continues to have faith in the core group that secured the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
“Those who helped us win the last World Cup, definitely them. We also have an idea of how to play T20 and play those formats consistently. In a way, I have a lot of pillars to wrap up.”
The remarks come as pressure mounts on the selectors and team management to hand Sooryavanshi his long-awaited India debut after the teenage batting sensation was benched for both matches against Ireland.
VAIBHAV’S WAITING CONTINUES
Few youngsters have generated as much excitement before debuting in India as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
At just 15 years and 91 days, the left-hander would have become the youngest player ever to represent India in international cricket, both men’s and women’s, if he featured against Ireland. Instead, India stuck with the top order of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, trusting the experience of the players who have been the backbone of the side’s recent success.
The rationale is easy to understand.
Abhishek established himself as one of India’s most explosive T20 batsmen, while Samson was among the architects of India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign before enjoying another outstanding IPL season. Replacing one or the other with a capless teenager would be one of the boldest selection calls in recent memory.
However, the Irish series also strengthened the case for change.
Samson scored 0 and 0 in the two matches, while Kishan returned 1 and 12 as the Indian batting struggled to test the Belfast surface. The defeats not only handed India a surprising 2-0 series loss but also ended their remarkable run of 16 consecutive bilateral T20I series victories.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has already claimed that Sooryavanshi needs to “go through a process” like any other player, while acknowledging that the teenager looks ready for international cricket.
England now presents an even stricter examination.
Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Saqib Mahmood and Sonny Baker offer real pace, while Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed provide plenty of variety in the middle orders. Chester-le-Street also traditionally favor bowlers, with an average T20I first innings score of just 138, so batting adjustments are key from the start.
Whether these conditions will eventually convince India to hand Sooryavanshi his debut remains one of the biggest talking points heading into the five-match series.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
30 Jun 2026 19:30 IST