Former India head coach Ravi Shastri did not pull any punches while slamming the national team management for keeping 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the bench during the recent T20I series against Ireland.
India's cautious approach backfired heavily on the tour, as they suffered a shocking 0-2 clean sweep against the hosts - marking Ireland's first-ever bilateral series triumph over the Men in Blue. Speaking on the Sony Sports Network broadcast, an animated Shastri expressed vintage, unfiltered frustration over the decision to sideline the teenage sensation.
With established options like Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan preferred at the top of the order, Sooryavanshi was made to warm the benches. Shastri argued that the slow, spongy nature of the surfaces in Ireland, coupled with short boundary dimensions, provided a tailormade playground for the youngster's explosive style.
Expressing himself in trademark, colorful fashion, Shastri lamented the missed opportunity:
"He should have played; they should have given him a chance in Ireland. On those slow and spongy tracks, he would have smacked the ball right onto the roof. It's a small ground - he would have taken their pants off ('pant nikal ke haath mein de deta'). They absolutely should have played him there. Now whether they will field him in England or not, I have no idea."
The teenage phenom arrived in the United Kingdom riding an incredible wave of form. Sooryavanshi dominated IPL 2026, amassing a staggering 776 runs and collecting individual awards like the Orange Cap and Emerging Player of the Season. He backed that up with an audacious 29-ball 94 for India A against Sri Lanka A.
Shastri emphasized that a player with that level of raw momentum needs to be blooded into international cricket immediately, rather than being restricted to carrying drinks.
"You have to get him onto the pitch as quickly as possible. He thrashed every single bowler in the IPL; which fast bowler did he spare? He possesses that pure X-factor. He has no psychological baggage, just the exuberance and fearlessness of youth. He can hand you explosive starts that the middle order can easily capitalize on. The management has to find a slot for him on the side - quicker they do it, the better."
As the squad moves from Ireland to face England in their white-ball summer tour, pressure is mounting on the team management. Pundits and fans alike are echoing Shastri's sentiments, demanding that the young left-hander finally be handed his senior international cap.
