Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has advised the Indian team management to go slow on the teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after his selection for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England.

 

India’s white ball touring squad was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently and the selection of the 15-year-old Vaibhav was one of the talking points. The youngster received his first senior call up on the back of a spectacular IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals.

 

The batter finished as the leading run scorer in the competition with 776 runs in 16 matches and his efforts were pivotal in Rajasthan Royals passage to Qualifier 2 making him the hottest property amongst young cricketers in the country.

 

While he backed the young batter's inclusion in the Indian side Srikkanth believes that India should not rush the teenager into the playing eleven.

 

 

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former opener added

 

 

"He has forced his way into the team. Age is no factor in his selection. It's been through sheer scores. It doesn't matter if he plays in the 11 or not. The management should guarantee him a slot in the 16 for three years irrespective of whether he plays or not or whether he fails or performs. Don't force him into the 11 against Ireland as he will smash it irrespective of whether it is a weak or strong team. So don't play him in the 11 for the sake of it."

 

 

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Srikkanth Wants Vaibhav To Learn From Senior Players

 

In Srikkanth's opinion, the tour itself will be an eye-opener for the youngster and has advocated the use of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as the regular opening pair. Vaibhav should get to learn in the setup of the team instead of going straight into playing the eleven.

 

According to Srikkanth getting the teenager to spend time with senior players around him in the national setup could have a good impact on him without creating immediate pressure to perform.

 

He added :

 

"Let him wait and let Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma continue opening the batting. He'll learn a lot just by staying in the reserves. He has a stable head and touches every one's feet to take their blessings, which is a fantastic sign. He could be the next gem after Sachin Tendulkar. If Sachin is the god of cricket, Vaibhav could be the son of God."

 

India's tour will begin with two T20Is against Ireland before they head to England for a five-match T20I series. The tour is expected to serve as a crucial building step for the Indian team ahead of upcoming global tournaments.

 

While fans are excited to see Vaibhav feature in the Indian colours Srikkanth believes that the selection has been justified but his development needs to be handled well. For now, exposure to the national set up could be even more important for the young batter.