Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s appeal extends far beyond India, with the 15-year-old grabbing the attention of cricket fans across the world. There is a lot of hype surrounding the teenage star, with tickets for India’s T20Is in Ireland sold out by supporters hoping to watch him play. However, Souryavansh has been on the sidelines in the two-match series.The story hasn’t changed since India traveled to Durham for the T20Is against England. Despite growing anticipation for his international debut, the youngster once again had to sit on the bench. His continued absence has left several former cricketers baffled, including Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar. Now, the former England captain Michael Vaughn Alastair Cook also questioned India’s decision. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Warne admitted that he could not understand why Sooryavanshi was not given a chance and even hinted that he wanted to raise the issue directly with the BCCI and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.“We have to say to the BCCI and selector Ajit, how come he hasn’t played against Ireland? Our mate, that kid,” Warne said on the Stick to Cricket podcast, to which Cook replied: “I’ll be there tomorrow and I’ll drive over as a fan to make sure this 15-year-old kid gets to play.”While Warne and Cook’s comments reflect the growing curiosity over Suryavanshi’s absence, the chances of the Indian team management changing course appear slim. The draft staff and coaching staff have been adamant that the teenager’s opportunity will come in due time.Sooryavanshi’s path into the starting XI is currently being Abhishek Sharma and Sanzhou Samsonboth have established themselves in the Indian T20I camp. The two batsmen played a key role in India’s third T20 World Cup win four months ago and are not expected to lose their places anytime soon.Even so, Sooryavanshi’s oversight has sparked debate given his extraordinary rise over the past five months. The southpaw led the India U-19 team to the World Cup for the first time and scored a stunning 175 in the final. He then carried that momentum into the IPL, becoming the youngest-ever Orange Cap winner with 776 runs.Suryavanshi also impressed with the India A team in Sri Lanka before joining the senior team for the tour of Ireland. His match-winning 94 in the final, the fastest half-century in Group A cricket, played a decisive role in India’s comprehensive victory, further strengthening the support of those eager to see the teenage prodigy make his international debut.
