When Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was selected for India’s T20I team to play Ireland in a two-match series that started on Friday, the world took notice. Gautam Gambhir and other senior India coaching personnel were spotted conversing with Sooryavanshi during a prolonged net session on Thursday.
But Sooryavanshi is not included in the starting lineup for the first Twenty20 International against Ireland. Sooryavanshi would have been the youngest debutant in Indian cricket (men’s or women’s) if he had been selected at the age of 15 years, 91 days.
“Unfortunately no (Sooryavanshi is not playing). He’s a gun player but we have some tremendous players who have done well for us so we are backing them. He will get his chance when the time comes,” Shreyas Iyer, new India captain, said after winning the toss and opting to bowl in the match.
The youngest player to represent India is Shafali Verma (15 years, 239 days). Sachin Tendulkar (16 years, 205 days) is the record holder in men’s cricket.
Sooryavanshi’s lack of selection is mostly due to India’s potent top order. The T20 World Cup featured Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan; it would have been a significant choice to bench any of them in order to make room for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Thursday had said: “And 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. I think there is a very thin line between trying to give somebody an opportunity and being unfair to some other player,” said Kotak.
Kotak believed that even selectors have a very difficult task since there is so much T20 talent prepared for the highest level. Being excluded from the team selection process is a relief for him.
“If you ask me, there is so much talent in India that even the selectors have a headache. Honestly, I don’t have such a big headache because I am not the head coach and the captain. But sometimes it is tough.
“But we also have to remember one thing – those who are already performing should never be ignored, as I believe. Those who are already scoring, winning games for the team. BCCI’s structure is such that players will keep coming,” said the former Saurashtra cricketer when asked how tough it is to bench someone from a World Cup-winning squad.
