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Mumbai: Sunil Gavaskar and Graeme Swann have thrown their weight behind teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, urging India to hand the 15-year-old a debut in the opening T20I against England on Wednesday.India head into the five-match series after a disappointing 0-2 defeat in Ireland under new interim captain Shreyas Iyer, with the batting unit struggling throughout. Gavaskar believes Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach could provide the spark India need. “I’m hoping Vaibhav plays the first game because it’s a new series and he can get the team off to a flying start,” Gavaskar said on Monday. “England won’t really know what to expect from him.
They’ve only seen IPL footage. If he gets going, he can take the game away and put England immediately under pressure.”
The former India captain admitted fitting Sooryavanshi into the XI won’t be easy given the strong opening partnership of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, but felt the teen’s unpredictability could be a major advantage.India’s decision to leave the youngster out in Ireland has triggered debate, with Swann also advocating an immediate debut.
The former England off-spinner described the Bihar batter and Rajasthan Royals opener as a “generational talent.”“If I were captain or coach, I’d play him straight away,” Swann said. “Everyone expected his IPL performances to dip this season, but he only got better. Teams thought they’d found a weakness with full yorkers, but he adapted and kept scoring at a terrific rate.”Swann believes Sooryavanshi possesses rare potential. “He’s the sort of once-in-a-generation talent that comes along very rarely. The sooner India expose him to international cricket, the better. There’s no reason he can’t be the best player in the world for the next 15 years.” Meanwhile, speculation continues around Rohit Sharma’s chances of featuring in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Gavaskar, however, feels the 39-year-old remains firmly in control of his destiny.“There’s always been talk about Rohit, but he knows where he stands,” Gavaskar said. “There has obviously been communication between him and the people who matter. All he needs to do over the next year and a half is keep delivering.”(WATCH THE INDIA TOUR OF ENGLAND 2026 – ENGLAND VS INDIA, 1ST T20I, ON JULY 1 FROM 10:00 PM IST LIVE ON SONY SPORTS TEN 1 SD & HD, SONY SPORTS TEN 3 SD & HD (HINDI))
‘Sooryavanshi ready but must follow process’
India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate believes teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is ready for international cricket, but said the 15-year-old must earn his place through the same pathway as others. Speaking after India’s 0-2 T20I series defeat to Ireland, ten Doeschate backed the team management’s decision to persist with established players. “We are all excited to see Vaibhav play, but he has to go through the same process,” he said.PTI
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