Former India cricketer R Ashwin has claimed that it was a good thing that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi didn’t make his India debut in the recently concluded two-match T20Is series against Ireland. He stated that it was great for Sooryavanshi to learn from other’s mistakes.

Ashwin stated that the narrative could've been completely the opposite had Sooryavanshi played but failed to perform.

“Let's say Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was given his debut against Ireland, but he played and failed in these two matches, would this (narrative) be reversed? In all honesty, everything would be reversed. Everyone would say, 'Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can hit in the IPL, but he can't play in seaming, sporting conditions'," Ashwin said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

According to Ashwin, playing an aggressive style of Twenty20 cricket in seaming conditions increases the likelihood of failure.

"In such conditions - be it Vaibhav, Abhishek or Sanju - if you play in the same T20 template, there will be chances of getting out. That is why I said that it is not a bad experience to sit outside, within the team environment. You're learning from somebody else's experience," Ashwin added.

Ashwin explained why Sooryavanshi sitting on the sidelines is not a bad thing for the 15-year-old.

"You can ask anyone. The most free and most valuable lessons can be learned when you sit in close quarters and watch the mistakes of high-performing individuals. You won't get a better platform than that," he stated.

Sooryavanshi is also in India’s squad for the five-match T20I series against England that starts on July 1, 2026. Whether the 15-year-old is given an India debut in the series will be interesting to see.