The Indian team management is reported to have faced indirect pressure regarding the debut of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the England T20I series.
The 15-year-old became the youngest debutant for India and surpassed legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s record, who debuted when he was 16 years and 205 days old.
However, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi failed to fulfill the expectations after his outstanding performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Following Sanju Samson’s exclusion from the playing XI, Vaibhav made his international debut in the second T20I against England at Old Trafford, Manchester.
The teenager managed to score only 42 runs off 25 balls in his 3 innings at an average of 42, which included his scores of 14, 13, and 15 in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th T20I, respectively.
‘Samson Could Have Continued As Opener’: Latest Reports
The reports provided by reputable sources claimed that the Indian management planned to include Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI if Sanju Samson failed to score huge runs in the first six matches.
“See! Earlier, it was decided that Samson would continue as opener for the first six matches. If he hadn’t managed to score runs in the six games, then Vaibhav would have been introduced. India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar had agreed on the same point.
So, it is understood that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut wasn’t planned for the first six matches, but he was introduced into the playing XI due to indirect pressure.
Even though Sanju Samson didn’t perform well in the first two matches against Ireland and in the opening T20I against England, the decision was made that he would play the second T20I. However, due to unavoidable pressure, Sooryavanshi was given a chance,” the reports claimed.
Samson’s Poor Performances Paved the Way For Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
After registering a sequence of single-digit scores 5,0, and 1, Sanju Samson was excluded from the playing XI.
It was even more shocking that the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2026 was benched only to give a chance to a teenage batsman like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who hasn’t even debuted for India.
Cricket experts and fans expressed backlash against the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and captain Shreyas Iyer for sidelining a match-winner following his disappointing performances in just 3 matches.
However, Samson replaced Vaibhav in the playing XI for the 5th T20I in Southampton. But it was too late as England had already taken a 3-0 lead, leaving a game to spare.
Finally, Harry Brook and his men dethroned the world champions from the No.1 to the No.2 spot in the ICC rankings after a clean sweep of a 4-0 win against the visitors.
‘Why to Spoil His Future’: 1983 World Cup Winner Blasts Against Iyer-Gambhir
Kris Srikkanth, the 1983 World Cup winner, questioned Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer’s strategy to drop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the playing XI for the 5th T20I. He voiced his frustration that the captain and coach ruined the teenage batter’s confidence by not handling his talent carefully.
Here is what the former Indian cricketer said:
“No! What mistake did Vaibhav make? Is this the way you groom the young talents?
During the toss, Iyer said that his team wanted to return to the best possible ways. Is this your best way of moving forward?
If you believed in Sanju Samson, you should have included him in the playing XI and continued with him. Why did you bring Vaibhav and then drop him? Why spoil his future? You people are ruining his confidence levels.
When Sachin debuted at 16, I motivated him to play fearlessly, saying that he wouldn’t be dropped from this tour. Why shouldn’t Gambhir and Iyer give such kind of confidence to Sooryavanshi? It’s really unfair, and I feel disappointed with the way they treated Vaibhav,” Srikkanth said.
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Final Opinion: Fans Brutally Trolled Sooryavanshi After International Debut
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s international debut turned out to be meme content for social media users.
For three consecutive innings, the opening batter was dismissed in a similar pattern as he attempted to play too many aggressive strokes in the initial phases of an inning.
Trolls continued to get flooded on the internet with the claim that Sooryavanshi’s batting capabilities have been exposed on overseas pitches.
Unlike the flat pitches in India, where he counterattacked aggressively against the world-class bowlers in the IPL, the southpaw struggled to score runs and lacked intent in powerplays against England.
A certain set of fans posted on social media that Vaibhav’s international debut was only filled with hype and nothing more than that.
Few experts praised the former Indian spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin’s analysis, who earlier suggested not introducing the teenage batter too early at the international stage.
In conclusion, not only fans but also experts and former cricketers believe that Gambhir and Iyer failed to give the motivation Vaibhav required at a very young age.
