Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reckons Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s selection will create a lot of competition for the top spots in the T20I team. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are India’s current opening pair whereas Sooryavanshi has received his maiden India call-up.
Sooryavanshi 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. Thus, he bagged the Orange Cap award along with the MVP of the season. He also won the Super Striker and Emerging Player of the season award.
Ashwin said on his ESPN Cricinfo, “There are spots up for grabs, and there is going to be serious competition among people in good form like Abhishek and Sanju at the top. Vaibhav is going to make it hard for you to fail because he’ll ensure to take up that spot. Now can the management be ruthless to Abhishek just like how they were to Surya because Abhishek was in bad form during the T20 World Cup?”
“Now that you’ve dealt that blow to a World Cup-winning captain, why not deal another blow to anyone else because someone (Vaibhav) is ready? Given the precedent set with Surya, it doesn’t matter if it’s Abhishek or Sanju who goes out for Vaibhav. Since he deserves to be in there, it shouldn’t matter who goes out, given what they did to Surya.”
Ashwin reckons Abhishek Sharma might have to make way for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi if the youngster has to play in the playing XI on the UK tour.
“When a captain has been left out for form, anyone else can too going forward. So it doesn’t matter if it’s Sanju or Abhishek. But the fact that Sanju keeps wickets works in favor. So if Vaibhav has to play, the only other option to go out of the side is Abhishek Sharma,” said Ashwin (via the aforementioned source).
However, the former CSK all-rounder urged the team’s management to not straight way back Sooryavanshi in the final XI.
Ashwin concluded, “Vaibhav should wait for his time to get his breakthrough, even though he is a generational talent. Whenever he plays, he will take to international cricket like fish to water.”
India will play two T20Is against Ireland, followed by five T20Is against England.
