India considers integrating Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into T20 squad

By Arjun Nair / 29.06.2026

By Arjun Nair — 29 June 2026 — 3 min read

The Indian cricket team faces a significant decision regarding the inclusion of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old batting prodigy, into the T20 squad for the upcoming series against England. This discussion has intensified following recent losses to Ireland, prompting a review of the team’s selection strategies.

The question of how to incorporate Sooryavanshi’s talent into an established side has been a topic of interest. Despite public anticipation, the team management has maintained its selection process. However, the unexpected defeats against Ireland have led to calls for a re-evaluation.

Calls for Sooryavanshi’s inclusion

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has strongly advocated for Sooryavanshi’s immediate inclusion. Gavaskar suggested that the series against Ireland presented an ideal opportunity to introduce the young player to international cricket. He believes Sooryavanshi should play from the first match against England.

Gavaskar commented that the team management needs to consider dropping batters who are not in form to make way for Sooryavanshi. He proposed fitting Sooryavanshi at number three, even if it means adjusting the positions of other players. According to Gavaskar, playing Sooryavanshi could potentially surprise England in the initial game.

The public has shown considerable interest in Sooryavanshi, with queues forming hours before international matches in hopes of seeing him play. Despite this, the team management, led by coach Gautam Gambhir, has adhered to its process, which initially saw openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma retain their spots after their performance in the T20 World Cup.

Reshaping the batting lineup

The conundrum of not playing Sooryavanshi is now a pressing issue, unless the team management remains firm on the irreplaceability of the Samson-Abhishek combination. The team’s think-tank will need to find a viable solution during the five-match T20 series in England.

One potential restructuring of the batting order could see Sooryavanshi at number three. This would involve other batters, such as Ishan Kishan, moving down a slot. A possible lineup could feature Sooryavanshi at three, followed by Kishan at number four, Shreyas Iyer at number five, Tilak Varma at number six, Shivam Dube at number seven, and Axar Patel at number eight.

This arrangement assumes that Suryansh Shedge would be dropped from the first match against England. Flexibility would be maintained for positions five to eight, depending on the match situation and the need for left-right batting combinations. If Shivam Dube plays at number seven, he would be expected to bowl four overs on most days, as Abhishek Sharma is the only other part-time left-arm spinner in the top order.

Tough decisions ahead

Integrating Sooryavanshi without disrupting the bowling attack’s balance presents a challenge. The team management might need to consider difficult decisions, such as potentially dropping Sanju Samson. While this could be an unpopular move, it is suggested as a logical solution to accommodate Sooryavanshi.

The recent losses to Ireland have been described by Sunil Gavaskar as one of the lowest points in Indian cricket history. He attributed these losses to overconfidence and casualness among the batters, who struggled on pitches with extra carry and bounce. Gavaskar emphasized the importance of playing according to the situation, a factor he noted was missing in the performances against Ireland.

The team’s think-tank will have to communicate with players like Samson if such landmark changes are to be made. The overarching goal is to balance integrating new talent with maintaining team stability and performance in the upcoming series. The series against England is expected to feature slightly flatter wickets, based on their behavior in previous summers.

Gavaskar expressed hope that the team would not delay playing Sooryavanshi any further and would include him in the first game against England.

Source: m.rediff.com