Former India batter Mohammad Kaif criticized the team management for benching 15-year-old opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the Ireland series, arguing that introducing him first in England made his international debut unnecessarily difficult following his standout IPL 2026 season.
The debate surrounding Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and his entry into international cricket has reignited after remarks from former India player Mohammad Kaif. The young opener earned his maiden national call-up after capturing the Orange Cap during an outstanding IPL 2026 season, where his bat delivered under intense spotlight despite his youth.
Missed Opportunity in Ireland and Difficult Start in England
Despite being selected for both the Ireland and England tours, Sooryavanshi watched from the sidelines during the Ireland leg while management opted for other selections such as Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. When Sanju Samson struggled with the bat against England, the team management handed the teenager his debut against a star-studded English side.
The baptism by fire yielded modest returns. Sooryavanshi managed scores of 14, 13, and 15 across three T20Is before being omitted from the fifth and final match as Samson returned to the playing XI.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif stated via The Times of India that Vaibhav is an X-factor player who made a reputation for himself, noting that his bat did the talking in the IPL despite him being in the spotlight, that he did not just perform in one or two matches as he won the Orange Cap, and adding that he should have played in Ireland so that the nervousness would have gone and he would have reached England and performed well.
According to Kaif, the team management could have eased the 15-year-old prodigy into the international arena rather than restricting him initially. The former batter noted that telling a player coming off a dominant domestic season to serve water first creates an unnecessary mental hurdle.
Bounce-Back Performance Against Zimbabwe
Following his challenging introduction in the United Kingdom, Sooryavanshi answered critics during the subsequent T20I series against Zimbabwe. The left-hander established his rhythm immediately by opening the tour with a half-century, following it with a 20-run knock, and then smashing 81 off 49 balls in the third fixture to seal a 3-0 series sweep.
He concluded the Zimbabwe series with 151 runs across three matches at an impressive average of 50.33, earning the Player of the Series award.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif remarked via The Times of India that since Sooryavanshi did not perform well in England he was dropped, pointing out that Sooryavanshi was playing against Archer and had not played in India yet, while expressing certainty that he will score a lot of runs when he plays there and concluding that Sooryavanshi’s India journey was tough and could have been made easier.
Kaif emphasized that special talents require careful handling during their formative international steps, pointing to the Zimbabwe series as proof of what the young player can achieve when given proper runway.
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