Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Ireland omission sparks frenzy on social media

Boycott the match.

That’s the sentiment among a section of Indian cricket fans after captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed that teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will not make his much-anticipated international debut in the opening T20I against Ireland despite his stellar IPL campaign. The decision overshadowed India’s series opener in Belfast and many supporters expressed their disappointment.

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Friday’s first T20I had created huge anticipation following the inclusion of the 15-year-old batting prodigy in the Indian squad for the UK tour, with many expecting him to make his senior debut.

“I don’t think that just to give him a chance we should drop someone who has already scored. That won’t be right either. I think there is a very fine line between trying to give someone a chance and being unfair to another player,” India’s batting coach Shitanshu Kotak said on the eve of the first T20I.

At the draw, Iyer confirmed that Sooryavanshi will not play in the playing XI.

“Unfortunately not,” he replied when asked about the teenager’s debut. “He’s a shooter. But we have experience in the squad. And the seniors have done brilliantly in the last two series for India. So we’re backing most of them who have done absolutely brilliantly. I think he’ll get his chance when the time comes. But for now we’re going with three genuine seamers, one all-rounder and two spinners.”

Sooryavanshi earned his first India call-up after a sensational IPL campaign that established him as one of the country’s brightest young batting talents. While many expected him to lead the team in a short bilateral series, India instead opted to reward the experienced core that played a key role in retaining the T20 World Cup title, preferring continuity over experimentation.

SOCIAL MEDIA FURY

The decision sparked a flurry of reactions on social media, with disappointed fans expressing their frustration at the teenager’s omission. One user even called on supporters to boycott the match and wrote: “Boycott this match. Everyone was excited for Vaibhav but he didn’t pick 11. Tilak cheat play and talent like Vaibhav on the bench is a joke. Worst pick from Iyer.” Fans and experts with differing opinions on Sooryavanshi’s exclusion (Photo Screengrab from X)

The debate soon spread beyond the fans, with former England captain Michael Vaughan questioning India’s challenge.

“Can’t believe India didn’t pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi… best T20 player in the world right now,” Vaughan wrote on X.

However, there were also those who supported the progress of the selectors. In response to Vaughan, one user wrote: “This is not Pakistan where players are selected only based on local league matches. This is India where talent is selected only after some verification of continuous performance over the years.”

With one match remaining in the series before the official tour of England, Sooryavanshi could still make his long-awaited international debut if the management decides to rotate the squad for the second T20I on Sunday, June 28.

– The end

Published on:

26 Jun 2026 20:34 IST