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India need Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to get off to flying start against England after Ireland humiliation
Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has backed the inclusion of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the ENG vs IND 1st T20I after the humiliating series loss to Ireland. The 15-year-old was expected to make his much-awaited T20I debut in the two-match series in Belfast but was denied the opportunity as the team management decided to back regular openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma to continue at the top of the order for the Men in Blue. With Samson failing on both occasions (5 &0) while Sharma fared well in just one game (49 & 0), Gavaskar believes it’s time for India to unleash Sooryavanshi to start the series against England on a high note.
Sooryavanshi is ‘what India needs’
As per Times of India, Gavaskar said that handing Sooryavanshi his T20I debut in the ENG vs IND 1st T20I is the best way for India to recover from the series loss against Ireland as the youngster was capable of providing India a flying start. Vaibhav has been phenomenal over the last couple of years and has grown leaps & bounds, showcasing his ability to strike at will at the top of the order even against world-class bowlers. Gavaskar opined that the 15-year-old had the ability to take the game away once he gets going, adding that it was exactly what India needed at this point of time.
“I’m hoping that Sooryavanshi plays the first game because it will be the start of a new series and he gets the team off to a flying start. It’s the best way to recover from the series loss against Ireland. So, if he gets going, he can take the game away and I think that is what India needs at this particular point of time, after this loss, is for somebody to make the impact straight away. So, the host nation England is put on the backfoot straight away,” Gavaskar said. amunra.qpon
Belfast
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 30, 2026Durham#TeamIndia touches down for the #ENGvIND limited-overs challenge
pic.twitter.com/siysPbObgd
Sooryavanshi is no stranger to playing in the English conditions, especially in white-ball cricket. In 5 Youth ODIs that he has played in England, he has amassed 355 runs at a mind-boggling average of 71, including a hundred and a half-century, and a highest score of 143 runs. Although he hasn’t played T20Is in England, his familiarity with the conditions will come of good use to him should he be handed his debut. It is pertinent to point out that neither Samson nor Abhishek Sharma have played a T20I in England in this series will be their first on English soil for the senior team.
While the Indian team management has made it clear that Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his opportunity while a long rope has been given to Samson and Sharma, it makes little sense for them to delay vaibhav’s debut. After all, he amssed 776 runs at a whooping strike rate of 237 in IPL 2026 which also saw him hit the most number of sixes in a season. Therefore, it is imperative for India to capitalize on his red-hot form and strike the iron it is hot.
The post India need Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to get off to flying start against England after Ireland humiliation appeared first on Inside Sport India.
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