Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajiv Shukla has defended India’s selection process following Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s international debut, insisting the teenager’s elevation proves opportunities are awarded on merit rather than public pressure.
Sooryavanshi ended weeks of tension by making his India debut in the second T20I against England in Manchester, becoming the youngest player to represent the country in international cricket at just 15 years and 99 days. The youngster was overlooked during the Ireland series and the opening T20I against England, as the team tried to back the established top-order of Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan.
But Samson’s poor form eventually proved too thin to stop the Rajasthan
Royals star.
“Huge congratulations to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on his debut and for receiving this opportunity. The BCCI does not treat anyone unfairly; those who deserve it get their chance. There was a lot of uproar on social media claiming that opportunities weren’t being given; people were criticising both the coach and the captain. But that wasn’t the case,” Shukla told ANI.
The BCCI vice-president said he had always maintained that Sooryavanshi would receive his opportunity when the management believed the timing was right.
“I had said just the other day that when the right moment arrived, he would certainly get his chance, and yesterday, he did. I believe he will perform well in the future and truly come into his own. It is an excellent decision by the team management, and we should appreciate it,” he added.
Sooryavanshi made a shaky yet encouraging start to his international career, scoring 14 off just 10 deliveries. The left-handed opener struck two sixes before being stumped by Will Jacks, offering a glimpse of the attacking style that earned him a maiden India call-up after his record-breaking IPL 2026 season.
Despite his entertaining debut, India were beaten by four wickets as England chased down 191, with Jacob Bethell guiding the hosts to a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
