While the talks around the build-up to Team India’s two-match T20I series against Ireland remain centred around a potential debut for the young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, he may have to wait a little longer to made his debut, with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak saying that it would be unfair to change the combination to fit him into the XI. However, India’s top order is full with plenty of firepower. While Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan are currently ranked first and second, respectively, in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, Sanju Samson became the Player of the Tournament in the team’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign.

Addressing the media on the eve of the opener in Belfast, Kotak said, “I am sure that he will get his dues and his opportunities. So I don’t think that just to give him an opportunity, we should drop someone who has already been scoring runs. That also won’t be right. Obviously, it depends on the team management… what we plan to do in this match. That is a different thing. But I think it is a very thin line between trying to give somebody an opportunity and you being unfair to some other player.”

Kotak also applauded Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who broke into the T20I setup on the back of a season-topping 776-run campaign for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, smashing 72 sixes and winning the MVP Award. He called him an “outstanding talent”, while stressing the need for him to enjoy his experience in the senior setup as well.

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“The boys who come through the BCCI system playing U19, India A or Emerging tournaments, they more or less understand the culture of the Indian team,” Kotak said. “So it’s not as though a lot is different for him. But what we told him was for him to enjoy. If he wants to ask or share something, he should. Gautam was also telling him the same thing – ‘you just feel like you are playing for your own team and just say whatever you feel.'”

“I feel that the level of maturity, decision-making, and intent of those who perform at this level will always be good. More than that, as long as he feels that he is part of the team and he can freely behave the way he behaves in other teams, that is good enough.” Kotak again said.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s newly appointed T20 skipper Lorcan Tucker too applauded Sooryavanshi as well.

“I think it’s pretty incredible for them to have a 15-year-old on their team,” Tucker said. “I didn’t think ever that was going to be possible in this professional era of the game, especially with the amount of work that goes into professional cricket and the standard of the players. So yeah, credit to him.”

“We’re obviously hoping we’ll see him this week. It’ll be a big moment for him. But I think, like I said in a previous release, it’ll be great to kind of spoil that party…and make an impact in that game,” Tucker said. “It’s really exciting. So I think energy like that coming into a series is fabulous not only for us, [but also] for people coming to watch, for people watching at home, for those kids playing around the corner. I know Vaibhav is only a young boy, but he’s still an incredible player. And I think he is a pretty special role model for cricketers all around the world now and kids coming through.”