Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should wait: India remain stubborn ahead of England T20I series

India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has defended the team’s decision not to give 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his international debut against Ireland. Called up after record-breaking performances in the Indian Premier League and for India A, Vaibhav remained sidelined as India slumped to a historic series defeat against Ireland.

Vaibhav, who was not picked in the playing XI for either of the two T20Is in Belfast, watched the Indian batting line-up struggle in both matches. Shreyas Iyer’s side failed to assert authority in either game and it ended with Ireland being whitewashed.

T20 World Cup 2026 player of the tournament Sanju Samson also endured a difficult series, returning scores of 5 and 0. For context, Vaibhav came to the Ireland series after a record half-century against Sri Lanka A in the tri-series final in Dambulla.

Vaibhav, who clashed with several Sri Lankan players before the final, smashed an 11-ball fifty – the fastest recorded in List A history. He was also in contention to register a joint-fastest List 100, but was dismissed for 94 off 29 balls.

WHY DIDN’T INDIA DEBUT VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI?

However, India opted not to use the in-form batter and said there was no rush to hand the 15-year-old a debut. Speaking at the post-series press conference, Ryan ten Doeschate said it was hard to miss out on Sanju Samson, who played a major role in India’s triumph in the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20.

“He’s absolutely ready to play international cricket, there’s no doubt about that. But I also think it’s not a question of when you can say you can leave Sanju Samson out. A guy who came a long way to win the World Cup in India three months ago. A guy who had a pretty good IPL,” Doeschate said.

The assistant coach added that India intends to give the players a longer run in the team as a new cycle begins under Shreyas Iyer.

“It’s important in terms of giving confidence to the players and the message we send to the players. We want to give the guys in the team a long journey. So as ready and excited as we are and you’ll see him play, he’ll have to go through the same process as everyone else and wait and wait. But definitely no questions about how good he is and how ready he is,” he added.

HISTORY REPEATING itself?

Yeschate’s comments echoed those of Suryakumar Yadav during the T20 World Cup 2026. During the tournament, the then captain was asked why Samson was left out of the playing XI despite India’s opening matches.

Suryakumar responded by asking which established batter should be dropped to suit Samson. India eventually brought Samson into the side and the wicketkeeper responded with three consecutive impressive innings to help India win their third T20 World Cup title.

Doschate’s remarks suggest that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have to wait longer for his India debut. At 15 years and three months, Vaibhav could become India’s youngest ever international debutant if he features in the Ireland series.

India next travel to England for a white-ball series comprising five T20Is and three ODIs. Vaibhav is part of the T20I squad and remains in contention to make his debut.

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Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

June 29, 2026 11:19 AM IST