‘There is a calculated plan against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’: Former India batsman issues warning ahead of 4th T20I against England

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Photo by @BCCI on X) Former India batsman Parthiv Patel feels that young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be ready to bowl more short games as his international career progresses. The teenager, who impressed during IPL 2026, looked to make the same impact against England, scoring 14 and 13 in the last two T20Is. England’s bowlers have consistently targeted him with short deliveries, a tactic Patel believes will continue. According to Patel, England’s approach is not surprising as teams have already identified this strategy during the IPL. In an interview with JioHotstar, he said, “Not just Jofra Archer, I don’t think anyone who watched the IPL was surprised that there was a deliberate plan to play short to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. It wasn’t just a wicket ball, but the one before that was also short. In the first game, he hit a six on the delivery, it might not have hit the same line.”Patel believes every team will continue to test the youngster with pace and bounce.“As Vaibhav Sooryavanshi progresses in his international career, he will continue to face this kind of bowling with deliveries that are short and above 145 kmph. So the question will definitely be how he will deal with the short-run bowling as every player will be looking to target him there,” he added.Patel also urged the Indian batsmen to show more patience after he was bowled out for just 78 in the third T20I. He said players should take time to settle rather than attack from the start, especially in English conditions where the pitch and ground dimensions are different.“I would like to see a better understanding of the game and a bit more awareness of the game from the Indian batsmen in Bristol. Yes, there are 200 runs on the board but they are all experienced T20 batsmen and in this format you have a bit more time than you think,” he said.“You can afford to take one or two overs to get in. The conditions are different, the wickets are not as flat and you have to get used to the size of the ground and the pace of the wicket. So it’s very important to give yourself some time,” added Patel.India will now look to bounce back in the fourth T20I, while England will look to wrap up the series with another win.