All eyes would be on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi when India take on Ireland in the first T20I of a two-match series on Friday, June 26, in Belfast. Ahead of a highly
anticipated clash, which also sees Shreyas Iyer captain the side for the first time, the 15-year-old remains the talk of the town.
The left-handed batter received his maiden call-up to the senior India team ahead of their series against Ireland and England, following an excellent run in the Indian Premier League and solid performances for India's U19 and A squads.
Sooryavanshi trained with the rest of the senior squad for the first time, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) social accounts sharing video footage of him batting in the nets. The opening batter was seen playing some audacious shots against the likes of Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Tilak Varma.
The full video of Sooryavanshi's first training session as an Indian player can be seen below:
Start of something special 🌟
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 26, 2026
🎥 Glimpses of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's first time in the #TeamIndia nets 🤩#IREvIND pic.twitter.com/zp3mPMch5R
Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi make his India debut against Ireland?
The question on every fan's mind is whether they will get to watch Sooryavanshi represent India against Ireland on Friday. However, the answer is not as straightforward as it sounds. With the 15-year-old batter being an opener, the management will have to drop one of either Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson.
Samson had an excellent 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, being named the Player of the Tournament, scoring 321 runs, including 89 in the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Abhishek, on the other hand, had an underwhelming tournament but showcased his talents in the showpiece match, hitting 52 off 21 balls.
It will be difficult to drop one of Abhishek or Samson to make way for Sooryavanshi. However, one thing is certain, the opening starlet will eventually make his much-awaited debut in the upcoming seven T20I matches, two against Ireland and five against England.
