Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have to wait a little longer before making his India debut in the upcoming T20I series against England. The five-match series begins in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, July 1, and Pujara feels India are unlikely to disturb a settled top order straightaway despite the growing buzz around the 15-year-old.

Pujara urged Sooryavanshi to stay grounded and block out the noise that has followed him after his rapid rise. In his view, the teenager has already shown enormous talent, but international cricket is a different stage and selection decisions are shaped by team balance as much as form. Pujara also believes India are likely to continue with Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan at the top of the order, even though that combination did not deliver consistently during the recent Ireland series.

“There is a lot of hype around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. As a young player, he shouldn’t pay attention to what is being said about him. He needs to block out the outside noise and focus on his game. But even if he is mentally ready, selection is a different matter. I don’t think he will get a chance straight away in the England series because India wouldn’t want to change their top three. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan are quality batters who have helped India win the T20 World Cup,” Cheteshwar Pujara said on JioStar.

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Pujara added that the ideal moment for Sooryavanshi’s debut could come later in the series, possibly in the fourth T20I in Bristol. Even then, he insisted that the teenager should not treat the England tour like another Indian Premier League assignment. According to Pujara, the challenge in English conditions will be very different, and Sooryavanshi will need time to adjust before he can make a real impact.

“So, Vaibhav may have to wait for the first three games. “If the opportunity arrives, the key for him will be to stay relaxed and calm. He should just go out and express himself. What he did in the IPL won’t be easy to replicate in English conditions. So, he needs to prepare well and get used to the conditions. Once he has done that, it will be about watching the ball and playing it on its merit. Everything else will fall into place,” he added.

Former England spinner Graeme Swann also weighed in on the discussion, suggesting that Jofra Archer could be the bowler with the best read on Sooryavanshi. Swann pointed out that Archer, who has shared Rajasthan Royals dressing-room time with the youngster and bowled to him extensively in training, may have seen enough to identify a possible weakness.

“It’s hard to prepare for a player like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He is still new to international cricket, but he has already played two IPL seasons.  That means there is video footage available. Some of the England bowlers may have bowled to him in the IPL. But the truth is, no one has really had much success against him so far. He has looked almost unplayable.”

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“The one bowler who might have a slight advantage is Jofra Archer. He has seen Sooryavanshi from the dugout, bowled to him in the nets, and watched him closely. Maybe he has spotted a weakness. And he has the express pace to back it up,” Swann said on JioStar.