Sooryavanshi could be in line for his T20I debut in the ongoing England tour.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi might be enjoying a purple patch with the bat lately, but England all-rounder Sam Curran insisted they have drawn up plans to combat India’s young prodigy ahead of the second T20I at Old Trafford on Saturday (July 4).
The 15-year-old, who was rewarded with a place in India’s T20I squad after a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign, could be in line for his T20I debut if the visitors opt to make changes following the rain-affected series opener.
Sooryavanshi has warmed the bench in three matches of the UK tour so far. After failing to make the cut in India’s XI for two T20Is against Ireland, he was also ignored for the first T20I against England in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday (July 1).
While Curran acknowledged the threat posed by Sooryavanshi, he believes English conditions could test the teenager in a different way.
"I think England will present a different challenge. The surfaces are very different and a lot slower than in India. As bowlers, we'll have our plans, of course, but I'm not saying they'll necessarily be the right plans. You never know because he's playing really well. He's so raw and is simply having the time of his life," Curran told reporters on the eve of the second T20I.
According to Curran, Sooryavanshi's biggest test will be managing the intense national spotlight, noting that playing as an Indian cricketer in India brings pressures that exceed what international players face, especially for someone jumping straight into the squad.
"I've had the experience of playing in India, but I think being an Indian cricketer in India is on a completely different scale. That will probably be his biggest challenge, how he handles all the attention and expectations," Curran said.
Sam Curran called for patience despite the clamour surrounding Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. "He's only played one or two IPL seasons and is already in the Indian squad. I'm sure he has good people around him to help him through it, but you never really know until a player makes his debut and you see how he goes. Like everyone else, I'm sure he'll have his ups and downs," Curran remarked.
Despite the hype around Sooryavanshi, the Indian team management has opted to stick with the World Cup-winning opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
While Sharma managed scores of 49 and 59, Samson has struggled, posting single-digit totals of 5, 0, and 1.