Former Indian Test opener Kris Srikkanth has urged team management to not force Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI for the T20I series against Ireland and England. Sooryavanshi received his maiden India call-up after he impressed one and all in the recently concluded IPL 2026.
The prodigy batter ended the IPL 2026 season with 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a blistering strike rate of 237.30. He ended as the leading run-getter in the tournament and thus bagged the Orange Cap. Along with it, he was awarded the MVP of the tournament, Super Striker of the Season, Emerging Player of the season, and also bagged the award for the most sixes (72) in the season.
Srikkanth said on his YouTube Channel, “He has forced his way into the team. Age is no factor in his selection. It’s been through sheer scores. It doesn’t matter if he plays in the 11 or not. The management should guarantee him a slot in the 16 for three years, irrespective of whether he plays or not, or whether he fails or performs. Don’t force him into the 11 against Ireland as he will smash it irrespective of whether it’s a weak or strong team. So don’t play him in the 11 for the sake of it.”
The 1983 World Cup-winning player said Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma should continue opening the innings for India.
“Let him wait and let Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma continue opening the batting. He’ll learn a lot just by staying in the reserves. He has a stable head and touches everyone’s feet to take their blessings, which is a fantastic sign. He might be the next gem after Sachin Tendulkar. If Sachin is the God of cricket, Vaibhav could be the son of God.”
The former swashbuckling batter also backed the youngster to find success in the red-ball format and feels Test cricket will be revived if Sooryavanshi gets going.
“He’ll also slowly start playing red-ball cricket. If he develops into a good red-ball cricketer, Test cricket will be revived. If Suryavanshi bats, all of us are in front of the TV. The viewership just spikes vertically. That’s why his success in Test cricket is important. It’ll lead to the revival of international Test cricket,” said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).
India will play two T20Is and five T20Is against Ireland and England respectively.
