Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath has urged the team management to hand Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his international debut in the second T20I against England at Old Trafford, suggesting the teenage sensation should replace the out-of-form Sanju Samson in India’s playing XI.

Sooryavanshi earned his maiden India call-up after a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign, but the 15-year-old is still waiting for his first international appearance. He remained on the bench during the two-match T20I series against Ireland and was again left out of the rain-hit opening T20I against England. Meanwhile, Samson has struggled for runs, registering scores of 5, 0 and 1 across his last three T20I innings.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, S Badrinath said the timing is perfect to back a player who is brimming with confidence. “Timing is very important for a player in form. He should be given a chance when he is in the form of his life. There is no use playing him when he’s not in form. Confidence is everything in sports and he is high on confidence right now. So he must play,” Badrinath said.

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He also pointed out that Samson has failed to make a significant impact since winning the Player of the Tournament award at the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

“Let’s not forget, Sanju Samson has been continuously failing since the T20 World Cup. He hasn’t done anything great since the World Cup. Though I don’t advocate dropping Samson, it’s something to think about when an in-form Sooryavanshi is sitting out,” he added.

Sooryavanshi enjoyed a sensational IPL 2026 season, finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer and winning the Most Valuable Player award. He also broke the record for the most sixes in a single IPL edition, further strengthening his case for an India debut.

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S Badrinath also believes India’s batting lacked intent during the 0-2 T20I series defeat to Ireland and feels Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach could provide the spark the team needs at the top of the order. “There was a lack of intent with the bat in the two losses against Ireland. That makes it all the more a reason for Team India to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” he concluded.