Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin believes the selectors were right in picking Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the UK tour but the team management shouldn’t have fast-tracked him into the playing XI.
Sooryavanshi made his T20I debut in the second game of the series against England but was stumped after scoring 14 runs off 10 deliveries. In the two games, the youngster returned with scores of 13 and 15 and was dropped in the final game at Rose Bowl, Southampton on Saturday.
Ashwin reckons the team’s think tank gave Sooryavanshi his debut because of social media pressure. Sooryavanshi had earned his maiden T20I call-up after scoring 776 runs in 16 matches of IPL 2026 at a blistering strike rate of 237.30.
Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “I’m still telling you Vaibhav Suryavanshi is an incredible player. If I were the selector, I would have also picked him. But let him take his time. This is called an internship, right?
“I sometimes thought that I should have played in this era. When I went for the Test tour, a lot of people on social media said Ashwin has to play, how can you drop him? But I still didn’t play in the team. If I was out, they kept me out because the team management knows what is needed for the team. You are saying that you can pick teams by succumbing to social media pressure?”
Citing his own example, Ashwin recalled he was benched on the England tour despite being in fine form.
“There have been times where I could have played, but there have been times where it was a 50-50 decision, and there were times where it was the right decision. I came to England with very good form, but the coach and captain spoke to me, and then I felt maybe they were doing it for the combination they wanted.
“It is the team’s decision. The team management is like a temple. If the outside noise is allowed to enter the team, whose fault is it? How can the outside pressure disturb the team? If the outside pressure is disturbing the team management, then think about the players,” Ashwin added.
India and England will next take on each other in a three-match ODI series, starting Tuesday at Birmingham, Edgbaston.
