Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi make his India debut in the second T20I against Ireland?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: Excitement for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s India debut continues to build ahead of the second and final T20I against Ireland.Fans were hoping to see the teenage batting sensation on his international debut in the series opener in Belfast. However, the youngster had to wait as India stuck with an experienced batting line-up.The big question now is whether Sooryavanshi will get his chance in the second T20I on Sunday or fans will have to wait until the five-match T20I series against England starting on July 1.

India is trying to fight back

India are heading into the second T20I after suffering one of the biggest upsets in their T20 history.The reigning T20 World Cup champions were bowled out for 148 while chasing 183 as Ireland recorded their first ever international win over India.It was also a disappointing start for Shreyas Iyer, who returned to T20Is after 963 days and led India for the first time in the format.With the England series around the corner, Iyer will be keen to level the series before the team heads to England.

Iyer on the debut of Sooryavanshi

In the toss ahead of the first T20I, Iyer confirmed that Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his opportunity.“He is a gun player but we have a group of players who have been in tremendous form and he is a gun player but we have some great players who have done well for us so we are backing them. He will get his chance when the time comes,” Iyer said.

Kotak supports experienced players

A day before the first T20I, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak also hinted that India are unlikely to give the teenager an immediate debut.“Vaibhav is very talented, no doubt about that. And the way he has batted in the IPL and all the other games, it goes without saying that he has a lot of natural ability. Because in the IPL he has faced Jofro, a lot of fast bowlers, a lot of experienced bowlers. And he doesn’t seem to be bothered by anything. So he is obviously an extraordinary talent,” he said.Kotak also explained why the team management wanted to continue to support the players who had already joined.“That won’t be right either. I think there’s a very fine line between trying to give someone an opportunity and being unfair to another player,” Kotak said.“The team will be decided tonight by the captain and the head coach. And if he plays well, if he doesn’t play for me, that’s great because he’s part of the Indian team. And I’m sure he’ll get his due and his opportunities. So I don’t think just to give him an opportunity we should drop someone who’s already scored.”Whether Sooryavanshi will make his long-awaited debut on Sunday remains to be seen, but both Iyer and Kotak have made it clear that the teenager remains a key part of India’s plans and that his opportunity will come in due course.