The 15-year-old had a sensational IPL where he won the Orange Cap and multiple other awards. | Photo Credit: PTI

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will get his opportunity in due time, but it should not come at the expense of a batter scoring runs, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Thursday, ahead of the T20 series opener against Ireland.

The 15-year-old sensation will become the youngest to play for India if he takes the field in the first game of the two-match series.

The team management comprising new captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir will have a headache fitting him into the playing eleven as India come into the series on the back of a second consecutive World Cup title.

Sooryavanshi may replace Abhishek Sharma in the playing eleven and open alongside Sanju Samson.

Speaking to reporters on the eve of the game, Kotak said it would be unfair to bench a player who has done well to accommodate Sooryavanshi.

“Vaibhav is very talented, there is no doubt. And the way he has batted in IPL and all the other games, there is no need to tell that he has got a lot of natural abilities. Because in IPL he has faced Jofra, a lot of quick bowlers, a lot of experienced bowlers. And it seems that nothing is bothering him. So he is obviously an extraordinary talent.

“Today evening, captain and head coach will decide about the team. And if he plays great, if he doesn’t play also for me, that is great because he is part of Indian team. And I am sure that he will get his dues and his opportunities. So I don’t think that just to give him an opportunity, we should drop someone who has already been scoring runs.

“That also won’t be right. I think there is a very thin line between trying to give somebody an opportunity and you are being unfair to some other player,” said Kotak.

With so much T20 talent ready for the highest level, Kotak feels even selectors have a very tough job at hand. He is relieved that he is not part of the team selection process.

“ If you ask me, there is so much talent in India that even the selectors have a headache. Honestly saying, I don’t have such a big headache because I am not the head coach and the captain. But sometimes it is tough.

“ But we also have to remember one thing that those who are already performing, they should never be ignored, as I believe. Those who are already scoring, winning games for the team. BCCI’s structure is such that players will keep coming,” said the former Saurashtra cricketer when asked how tough it is to bench someone from a World Cup winning squad.

Does a teenaged talent like him need extra attention of the team management? “I feel that at this level, maturity, decision-making, and intent of those who perform at this level will always be good. And more than that, as long as he feels that he is part of the team, he can freely behave the way he behaves in other teams. That is good enough.

“ And thanks to the BCCI system, the boys who come from U19, India A they more or less understand the culture of their Indian team. So, it is not that there is a lot of difference for him. But what we were saying is that he should enjoy.

“ If he wants to ask or share something, he should do. Gautam was saying the same thing to him. You just feel like you are playing for your own team and just say whatever you feel,” said Kotak.

Iyer has come back into the T20 side as captain, having proved his leadership in the IPL. Kotak said someone like Iyer knows how to lead efficiently.

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“ It is not like that he is with the team for the first time. Even in this team, you will see that there will be 2-3-4 senior players who will be in the leadership group. No matter who the captain is, they keep helping each other. Shreyas has done a lot of captaincy in IPL, he has done it for Mumbai.

“ So he has a lot of experience. In fact, when he became champion with Gautam in KKR, Shreyas was the captain. So it’s not like people are expecting something different from him or he is expecting something different.

“ The thing that we always have is that we will keep the team first, we will do whatever is needed for the team. I think his speech in the huddle today was the same. That we will look after everyone,” added Kotak.

Published on Jun 25, 2026