India and England will play the second T20I in Manchester on July 4.
Legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev has shared his thoughts on young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the delay Indian team management is causing in his international debut. Sooryavanshi is the youngest cricketer to be included in India’s senior squad, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
Many expected Sooryavanshi, who achieved his maiden India call-up after a terrific IPL 2026, where he scored 776 runs with a strike rate of 237-plus, to make his India T20I debut in Ireland. However, India opted to go with their T20 World Cup-winning combination but suffered a shocking 0-2 series loss to the Irish.
He was also benched from the first T20I between England and India in Durham, and it remains to be seen whether Sooryavanshi will get a chance in the second T20I to be played on July 4, 2026, in Manchester.
Although Kapil Dev commended Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for his bravery in T20 cricket at such a young age, he said he was curious to see if the young player would be able to demonstrate temperament in Test cricket.
"The day he plays Tests, can he play out five maiden overs? In T20, it is fabulous. At such a young age, to make such an impact, you will not find even 1% of such people," Kapil said on a podcast with Sports Tak.
The World Cup-winning skipper used Sachin Tendulkar, who made his debut for his country at the age of sixteen, as an example of why it is too early to play Sooryavanshi. According to Kapil, it can be too late in certain situations, so it's important to play such abilities as soon as possible.
"We can talk about Sachin because he was the same age when he played. We used to think about whether it would be too soon. But if you look at history, you will realise. Sometimes it might be too late. When you are on the rise, play. I feel that if he is ready, don't count his age. Count on his ability. If you feel he can play, definitely make him play," Kapil added.
When discussing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's skill, Kapil Dev compared him to legends like Virat Kohli and Tendulkar. He clarified, though, that this was limited to the T20 format because the young player has not yet demonstrated his abilities in other formats.
He also advised against overhyping the 15-year-old at this age.
"I have not seen a lot of him, but have seen a bit. A huge talent, without any doubt. I think we are talking too much about him. At the moment, give him some time. Don't do it too much, as in this age, he has no understanding. But if you talk about Talent, yes, he is as good as Sachin or Virat. That talent is seen. But it is T20. In other formats, he has to prove,” Kapil said.
Kapil Dev also expected that Sooryavanshi will have rough patches and difficult times in his career, but stated that these challenges also help them grow as a player and build his character.
"It's not like he will not have a bad patch. There will be difficult times as well. We can see how he will get out of that bad patch. There are very few cricketers who have never had a bad patch, be it Sachin, Gavaskar, or Richards; everyone goes through rough times. We can see how a cricketer of his calibre develops through that rough time," he said.
Sooryavanshi will hope to get his chance to play for India, as they still have four T20Is to play in England.