Batting coach Kotak speaks on possibility of Sooryavanshi's international debut ahead of 1st Ireland T20I

Belfast [Ireland], June 25 (ANI): Ahead of the first T20I against Ireland, Indian team batting coach Sitanshu Kotak spoke on the possibility of 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s international debut, saying that while he is sure that he will get his opportunities with the team yet to be decided, the team does not want to be unfair to other in-form players in favour of Rajasthan Royals (RR) superstar.

The first T20I of the two-match Ireland series will take place in Belfast on Friday. The biggest talking point will be the debut of Sooryavanshi, which, if it happens, will make him the youngest Indian to play international cricket at the age of 15.

Speaking about Vaibhav in the pre-match presser, Sitanshu said, “Vaibhav is here for the first time (in senior team environment). I have seen him in the U19. But I think he is an outstanding talent. We all know how he is playing in IPL.”

He said that, as per the BCCI system, the players who are a part of the U19, India A or ‘Emerging’ team squads, they are more or less aware of the Team India culture.

“So, it is not that there is a lot of difference for him. But what we were saying is that he should enjoy. If he wants to ask or share something, he should do. Gautam was saying the same thing. You just feel like you are playing for your own team and just say whatever you feel. Rest, he is very good in terms of batting. His adjustment level, his intent are very good,” he added.

Sitanshu noted that while Vaibhav played in the IPL, he faced a lot of high-quality bowlers, fast bowlers, including England pacer Jofra Archer, whom he could be facing during the England tour, but “nothing seemed to bother him.”

“I am sure that he will get his dues and his opportunities. So I do not think that just to give him an opportunity, we should drop someone who has already been scoring runs. That also would not be right. Obviously, it depends on the team management that what we plan to do in this match, which is a different thing. But I think it is a very thin line between trying to give somebody an opportunity and you are being unfair to some other player,” the batting coach added.

In the recent tri-nation in Sri Lanka, featuring SL A and Afghanistan A, Sooryavanshi made 211 runs in five innings at an average of 42.20, with a strike rate of almost 201, with the best score of 94, his solitary fifty coming in the final. He also smacked the fastest List A cricket fifty in 11 balls against Sri Lanka A.

Sooryavanshi has earned his maiden national call-up following a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties. His explosive season saw him finish as the tournament’s leading run-scorer while smashing a record 72 sixes.

The youngster also swept multiple post-season honours, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes awards.

On the skipper Shreyas Iyer leading India in T20Is for the first time, Sitanshu said that Shreyas will have some senior players within the team as a part of the leadership group who will help him out.

“Shreyas has done a lot of captaincy in IPL, he has done it for Mumbai. So he has a lot of experience. In fact, when he became champion with Gautam in KKR, Shreyas was the captain. So it is not like people are expecting something different from him or he is expecting something different,” said Sitanshu.

“The thing that we always have is that we will keep the team first, we will do whatever is needed for the team. I think his speech in the huddle today was the same. That we will look after everyone. Some people will have good days, some people will have a bad day. So we will just make sure that we support each other. So our players, their leadership quality is similar,” he signed off. (ANI)

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