Sooryavanshi has warmed the bench in the ongoing India’s tour of UK so far.
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is warming the bench in the ongoing India’s tour of UK. After failing to make the cut in the playing XI for two T20Is against Ireland, the 15-year-old was also ignored for the first game of the five-T20I series against England in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday (July 1).
The decision to leave Sooryavanshi out of the playing XI saw the Indian team management drawing backlash from the fans, experts and quite a few former cricketers.
Ahead of the second T20I at Old Trafford, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla addressed the growing calls for Sooryavanshi’s international debut and defended the team management.
"We are also of the view that he is a very talented player, and he showcased that during the IPL. I have seen several comments against the team management and the coaches, but I want to make it very clear that the coach and captain will take the final decision. They are looking at the situation, and whenever the right opportunity arises, they will definitely give him his chance," Shukla told Times Now.
"So, such decisions should be left to the wisdom of the team management. I don't know why such unnecessary comments are being made about it," he added.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer have 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.
At 15 years and over 90 days old, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stands on the cusp of shattering Sachin Tendulkar’s 36-year-old record to become the youngest debutant in men’s cricket for India. Tendulkar was 16 years and 205 days when he made his international debut against Pakistan in 1989.
Sooryavanshi was rewarded with a place in India’s T20I squad after a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign where he finished as the Most Valuable Player and Orange Cap winner for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), hammering 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30. Along the way, he dominated high-profile bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.
It remains to be seen if Sooryavanshi gets a chance in the second T20I against England, scheduled for July 4 at Old Trafford.