New Delhi: Indian batting legends Sunil Gavaskar Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has expressed surprise at missing the T20I series against Ireland, saying the teenage batting star should make his international debut ahead of a tougher task in England.The 15-year-old was in fine form throughout the 2026 IPL season, but he was kept on the bench throughout the two-match series as India suffered a 0-2 defeat at the hands of Ireland, including a dramatic one-run loss in the second T20I.“I expect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his debut in the Ireland series,” Gavaskar told India Today.“I thought he would play two games. It would be a good way to get him into international cricket before the tougher tests coming up,” he added.Gavaskar said he had hoped that the team management would rotate the starting combination and allow Sooryavanshi to partner with Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson in the series.“Didn’t expect India to go to Ireland. Because at that stage, I honestly thought that with Ireland not being seen as a real threat, they would let young Suryavanshi make his debut in the first game with Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson. And in the second game, it would be either of them. So he would play both games,” he lamented.
“These are players you can’t ignore”
Despite missing the Belfast game, Gavaskar believes it is only a matter of time before Soriyavanshi dons the India jersey.“He will definitely get a chance. These are players you don’t ignore for too long. If not in Ireland, then in the England series he should be in the mix,” Gavaskar said.The former India captain expects the upcoming five-match T20I series in England to provide the ideal opportunity for the youngster to make his debut.“I think he will play in one of the games, if not all of England’s games,” he said.Gavaskar also cited Suryavanshi’s extraordinary achievements in domestic cricket as the reason for his excitement.“We saw the other day that he got to a half-century in just 11 deliveries in Category A cricket, which is the fastest in Category A cricket. Those are unthinkable. These are very, very, very special things,” Gavaskar said. “That’s why there’s a lot of excitement around him. That’s why people believe he should play. That’s why so many people are eager to see him don India’s colours.”Team management urges patienceHowever, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doschate defended the decision to wait for Sooryavanshi even as he insisted that the teenager is ready for the highest level.“He is fully ready to play international cricket, there is no doubt about it and Sanju Samson is also a guy who contributed a lot to our World Cup win three months ago,” Ten Dushat said after India’s series defeat.The Dutchman stressed that India wants to maintain faith in players who are already performing well at the international level.“It’s important to give players confidence… We’re all excited to see Vaibhav play, but he has to go through the same process. Of course, there’s no doubt how good he is.”Sooryavanshi’s much-awaited debut is expected to be in the spotlight again as the Indian team heads to England for the five-match T20I series starting from July 1. If selected, the 15-year-old would become India’s youngest-ever international cricketer, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record.
