Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s wait for his India debut continued as the 15-year-old was once again left out of the playing XI for the first T20I against England. Despite being one of the top performers in IPL 2026, where he scored 776 runs in 16 innings and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, the young batsman will have to wait even longer for his chance at the international level. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar he believes continuing to wait could increase the pressure on the teenager whenever he finally gets his chance. However, he also feels that Sooryavanshi’s age could help him handle expectations better.“It (the delay) will put him under more pressure whenever he gets a chance. But at 15, you don’t think too much about the pressure. He knows if he gets a chance in the second or third game, he’s going to have to do it almost immediately. It’s there. But he’s happy to be around. This Indian team is full of wonderful, great players and it’s just fantastic for him to learn from them,” Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network.If Sooryavanshi plays later in the series, he will become the youngest player to feature in a senior men’s T20 international, surpassing Ireland’s Joshua Little. He would also become the youngest player to represent the Indian senior men’s team, breaking the record that has stood since Sachin Tendulkar made his international debut at the age of 16.Meanwhile, the opening T20I between India and England was abandoned due to incessant rain, resulting in no result. Rain began to fall towards the end of India’s innings and intensified thereafter, forcing the umpires to call off the match with little time remaining before the break for the five-over contest.Before being washed out, India posted a competitive 189 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Shreyas Iyer led the charge with a 47-ball 68, while opener Abhishek Sharma contributed 59. Shivam Dube provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 42 off just 21 deliveries.England all-rounder Saqib Mahmood was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 3 for 33. The second match of the five-match T20I series will be played in Manchester on July 4.
