Former South African skipper AB de Villiers has questioned India’s team management for delaying Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut amid the UK tour. The youngster didn’t get his opportunity in the two T20Is against Ireland and also didn’t play in the opening game against England.
Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs in 16 matches of IPL 2026 at a blistering strike rate of 237.30 and broke many records while playing for Rajasthan Royals. Thus, he received his maiden T20I call-up and AB reckons it is time to throw the youngster into the deep end.
AB de Villiers said on his YouTube Channel, “When will he be unleashed? I thought the Ireland series was the perfect opportunity for him to come in and get a feel for international cricket. It was unfortunate that he never got an opportunity. I beg to differ with Ryan Ten Doeschate saying Suryavanshi has to go through the process like any other player. After the IPL he had, it was time to throw him into the deep end, especially against a lower team like Ireland.”
On the other hand, the former RCB batter cautioned India for their aggressive approach in English conditions. AB added India won’t be able to score 250 or 260 consistently in England.
“There is some work to do for Team India. They need to regroup and reset and find a method to play in the UK. It’s not easy in those conditions, where the scores are not like they are in the IPL. You don’t get to the 250s and 260s there. It is more strategic and tactical out there, where sometimes 140 or 160 is enough,” said De Villiers (via the aforementioned source).
“You still have to lay the foundation and there are ebbs and flows, similar to Test cricket. That’s what India need to figure out in their T20 setup when they play in the UK kind of conditions. Wait for the right moments to pull the trigger and go to fifth gear. Be prepared to sometimes pull back on odd occasions.”
The second T20I between India and England will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Saturday.
