MUMBAI: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has backed teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his debut for India in the T20I opener against England in Durham on Wednesday, saying the 15-year-old could provide the spark India desperately need after their disappointing 0-2 series loss to Ireland.India’s batting unit struggled during the Ireland series under new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, prompting calls for changes ahead of the five-match series against England. Gavaskar believes Sooryavanshi’s unpredictability could work in India’s favour.“I hope Sooryavanshi plays the first game as it will be the start of a new series and he will give the team a flying start. That is the best way to recover from the series loss against Ireland,” Gavaskar said.He admitted that fielding Sooryavanshi in the playing XI would be a challenge given the performances of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, but argued that England’s lack of familiarity with the youngster could be a deciding factor.“So if he gets going, he can take the game and I think that’s what India need at the moment, after this defeat, for someone to make an immediate impact. So England, the hosts, are immediately put on the back foot,” Gavaskar added.
Sunil Gavaskar backs Iyer, says patience needed
Despite Shreyas Iyer’s poor start as India’s T20I captain, Gavaskar urged patience, stressing that adjusting to leadership at the international level takes time.“I think in any new relationship it’s always just going to take a little bit of time for both of them to understand the support staff and the players to understand what’s expected of them,” he said.“Shreyas Iyer’s leadership has been proven over the years in the T20 format. We’ve seen him win trophies, win titles and take teams to the knockout stages and take teams to the finals.”Gavaskar also felt that the Indian batsmen needed to adapt better to the conditions after struggling on seamer-friendly pitches in Belfast.“In any form of the game and virtually any sport, I think you play the situation,” he said, adding that shot selection and decision-making let India down in Ireland.Gavaskar also backed Rohit Sharma to allay doubts over his future during the upcoming ODI series against England.“So I think England is a very good platform for him to show that even a year and a half later, he will be there opening the batting for India,” he said.On English pacer Jofri Archer, Gavaskar said his influence often depended on his mindset on the day.“He’s a top-class bowler and you know, if he’s, if I could say, if I could use that word, if he’s in the mood, he can cause anybody problems,” he said.Gavaskar added that he was not entirely surprised by Ben Stokes’ retirement, although he expected the England all-rounder to retire at the end of the domestic season rather than immediately.(Watch India Tour of England 2026 England vs India 1st T20I 1st July 2026 from 10 PM IST Live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada) Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD, Sony MAX).
