'It will put Vaibhav Sooryavanshi under more pressure': Sunil Gavaskar warns Team India management

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's wait for his India debut continued as the 15-year-old was once again left out of the playing XI for the first T20I against England. Despite being one of the standout performers in the 2026 IPL, where he scored 776 runs in 16 innings and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, the young batter will have to wait longer for his chance at the international level.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes the continued wait could increase the pressure on the teenager whenever he finally gets an opportunity. However, he also feels that Sooryavanshi's age could help him deal with expectations better."It (the delay) will put him under more pressure whenever he gets an opportunity. But at 15 years of age, you don't think too much about pressure. He knows that if he gets the opportunity in the second or third game, he will have to deliver almost immediately.

That's there. But he is happy to be around. This Indian team is full of lovely, tremendous players, and it is just fantastic for him to be learning from them," Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network.If Sooryavanshi gets to play later in the series, he will become the youngest player to feature in a top-level men's T20 international, surpassing Ireland's Joshua Little. He would also become the youngest player to represent India's senior men's team, breaking a record that has stood since Sachin Tendulkar made his international debut at 16.

Meanwhile, India had a shaky start in the first T20I after losing two wickets for just six runs. Captain Shreyas Iyer scored 68, while Abhishek Sharma added 59 to help India recover. Shivam Dube's unbeaten 42 off 21 balls provided a strong finish, while England pacer Saqib Mahmood impressed with figures of 3 for 33.