Calls for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his India debut have continued to grow following his incredible rise over the past few months, but the former BCCI coach Saba Karim believes that the team management is right to have patience with the teenage sensation.Sooryavanshi earned a place in the Indian senior T20I squad after a sensational IPL 2026 campaign in which he amassed a record 776 runs. If selected, he would become India’s youngest international cricketer, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar. However, despite growing demands from fans and former cricketers to speed up his debut, Karim feels there is no reason to change the established batting line-up.Speaking on Star Sports’ Follow the Blues, Karim defended Sanju Samsonplace in the side, pointing to the goalkeeper’s recent performances for India.“I don’t think so at this stage. Sanju Samson is a fantastic player. He was a match winner. He had a very good IPL season. Before that he was player of the tournament in the T20 World Cup. What are we watching? Sanju Samson would think, ‘Why is everyone pointing a gun at me?'” Saba said.Karim also emphasized that simply being part of the senior national set-up at the age of 15 is a significant milestone for Sooryavanshi and an opportunity to develop on and off the field.“Even for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, this is a good learning curve. He also needs to understand that to get into this Indian team XI, you have to earn your call. This environment will help him grow as a player and as a human being. Even though he has such an incredible amount of talent, when you enter such a competitive environment, you have to waste your time,” he added.Former India batsman Cheteshwar Pujarawho was also part of the discussion, shared a similar sentiment, describing Sooryavanshi’s inclusion in the national team as a great achievement in itself.“This is a huge opportunity for him. He may not get a chance in the playing XI but he is part of the Indian squad. It’s a big thing if you are in the 15-man squad and it’s a dream come true moment for him. When he gets a chance to play“He’ll have to wait for his chance. It’s a big positive for Vaibhav Suryavanshi to be part of the team. He gets to train with the players and be in an environment where there are senior cricketers and coaches around him to learn from. He’s an exceptional talent but he’ll have to wait a little bit for that opportunity.”India are currently touring England for a five-match T20I series. The opening match in Durham was called off after rain interrupted play after the first innings, with the second T20I scheduled to take place on Saturday.
