Sunil Gavaskar Suggests India Rest Sanju Samson or Abhishek Sharma To Include Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Former India captain and batting great Sunil Gavaskar believes young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be given a chance to play during India's upcoming T20I series against Ireland. The 15-year-old earned his maiden call-up to the Indian T20I squad after a sensational IPL 2026 season. Apart from the Ireland and England tours, Vaibhav has also been included in India's squad for the Asian Games in Japan later this year.

However, breaking into the playing XI may not be easy. India currently have an established opening pair in Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, while head coach Gautam Gambhir has previously made it clear that the team prefers stability at the top of the order.

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How can Sooryavanshi fit in India's T20I playing XI?

Despite that, Gavaskar feels the Ireland series presents the perfect opportunity to test one of the brightest young talents in Indian cricket.

"I would definitely pick him for the Ireland T20Is," Gavaskar said as quoted by IndiaToday. "I'd like to see him get a game. Maybe give him a chance in place of Sanju Samson in one match and Abhishek Sharma in another. That way, you can see how he handles international cricket."

Gavaskar believes Vaibhav's selection was fully deserved considering the incredible form he showed throughout the IPL season.

"It was expected," he said. "Just look at the runs he scored and the impact he had. After a season like that, it would have been very difficult to leave him out. Good performances should be rewarded, and that's exactly what the selectors have done."

The former India opener also pointed out that even if Vaibhav doesn't play every match, simply being part of the national team setup will help his development.

"Whether he gets a chance to play or not remains to be seen, but being in the Indian dressing room itself will be a huge learning experience. Spending time with senior players and understanding the environment at the highest level will help him a lot as his career moves forward," Gavaskar added.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's performance in IPL 2026

Vaibhav's IPL 2026 campaign was nothing short of extraordinary. The teenage opener scored 776 runs in 16 innings, averaging 48.50 while maintaining a remarkable strike rate of 237.30. His season included one century and five half-centuries.

He also rewrote the record books with his fearless hitting. Vaibhav smashed 72 sixes during the tournament, breaking Chris Gayle's long-standing IPL record of 59 sixes set in 2012. It is now the highest number of sixes hit by any player in a single IPL season and also the most by an Indian batter in the tournament's history.