Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has criticised the team management’s handling of 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, saying the teenage batter should have already been given a chance in the recent T20I series against Ireland. Shastri was speaking after India left the youngster out of the playing XI once again for the opening T20I against England on July 1.
Suryavanshi earned a place in India’s T20I squads for both the Ireland and England series on the back of his sensational IPL 2026 season. However, India chose to stick with their settled opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma against Ireland, and the same approach continued in the England series opener.
Speaking on the Sony Sports Network, Shastri said Suryavanshi should have been included earlier, especially on a pitch like Ireland, where his aggressive style could have made a big impact.
ALSO READ: Saba Karim Explains Why Ishan Kishan’s Dismissal Hurt India Against England
“Arre voh khelna chahiye thha yaar in Ireland. It was a slow track with a spongy bounce there. He would have given it a hammering there. So he should have played there. But here in England, I am not sure whether they will play him. However, he should play as soon as possible,” Ravi Shastri said.
The former India coach also pointed to the youngster’s explosive IPL 2026 campaign, in which Suryavanshi piled up 776 runs at a strike rate of over 237 and finished as the Player of the Tournament in only his second season. Shastri believes those numbers made a strong case for an immediate opportunity at the international level.
“He smashed everyone in the IPL. Which fast bowler did he spare? And here you are making him warm the bench,” he added. Ravi Shastri further said Suryavanshi is exactly the kind of fearless player India need at the top of the order. In his view, the 15-year-old carries no baggage and has the natural freedom of youth, which can help him give India fast starts if the management backs him properly.
ALSO READ: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s India Debut Delay Will Add Pressure, Says Sunil Gavaskar
“He is an X-factor and carries no baggage, being a 15-year-old. He has no fear because of the exuberance of youth. Even if he bats two to three overs at the top, he will provide you such a great start that the middle-order can capitalize on. So you have to find a place in the XI for him and the earlier, the better,” Ravi Shastri said.
Suryavanshi was again left out in the rain-hit series opener in England, which ended in a no-result. With Sanju Samson struggling for runs, the big question now is whether India finally hand the youngster his debut in the second T20I in Manchester on Saturday, July 4.
