New Delhi: Team India skipper Shreyas Iyer remained tight-lipped on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s potential debut in the first T20I against England at the Riverside
Ground in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, July 01. Iyer said, ‘his hands are tied’ as he insisted selection decisions are private, and he cannot give anything away to the opponents.
India will aim to return to winning ways in the series opener againstEngland after suffering a crushing 2-0 defeat against Ireland in their last T20I outing. The build-up to the five-match T20I series against England has been dominated by talks around Sooryavanshi’s potential debut, with calls growing for his inclusion after Indian batting’s capitulation against Ireland.
The 15-year-old earned his maiden India call-up for the T20I series against Ireland and England after enjoying a stellar season for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026. The teenage sensation continued his exploits for India A with an 11-ball fifty in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A and seemed primed for his much-awaited international debut against Ireland.
However, he was not fast-tracked into the side, with the Indian think tank planning to ease him into international cricket. When asked if Sooryavanshi can make his debut in the first T20I against England on Monday, Iyer refused to give away the details. The Indian captain lauded the 15-year-old and said he will get his opportunity soon.
“See, you never know what’s going to happen,” Shreyas said in the pre-match presser ahead of the first T20I against England on Tuesday.
“My hands are also tied at the moment in terms of what we’re going to do, because this is very private. This is something we discuss in the team. We can’t let everyone know what combination we’re going to play and let the opponents know what’s going to happen. So definitely he’s a brilliant prodigy, and whenever he gets an opportunity to play, he’ll do brilliantly,” he added.
Every individual in this team has performed: Iyer
Amid the growing clamour over Sooryavanshi’s India debut, Iyer backed his teammates and said everyone needs to be backed and made to feel secure to be able to perform in tournaments. He said every player that has been picked in the team has performed and knows how to do well in the shortest format.
“Look, every individual who has played in this team has performed. It’s not like only one individual has done it,” he said.
“But we have to build that security and give them opportunities so that the individual’s confidence stays high going forward into the tournaments. And the ones who have won the previous World Cup—they definitely have an idea of how to play T20s, and they’ve been the main pillars of this format consistently. So backing them is very important,” added the Indian captain.
Though the conditions are expected to be different compared to Belfast, pressure will be on the Indian team when they take on England in the 1st T20I in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday. India will be aiming to clinch their first win on their current tour of UK, while Iyer will be hoping to bag his first win as the full-time captain of the Indian team.
