Last Updated on 17 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey
Whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should feature in India’s T20I XI has been cause for debate in recent days, especially in light of Sanju Samson’s shaky form to kickstart the tour of Ireland and England. Samson has missed out in all three games so far, and has eight single-digit scores in his last 10 T20Is away from home.
Morne Morkel on whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will feature in Manchester: “Only fair to back your players”
However, India bowling coach Morne Morkel has hinted that Sooryavanshi may have to wait a little longer for his opportunity. Speaking to the media on the eve of the second T20I in Manchester, Morkel stressed that Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have credit in the bank.
“I think we just need to respect the fact that we’ve got the number one batter, or we had our number one batter in T20 cricket, Abhishek Sharma. You know, Sanju was the player of the World Cup,” Morkel said, as quoted by India TV News.
“He (Samson) had a great IPL. So, I think as a coaching staff, it’s only fair to show faith and back your players. Yes, there’s a young man knocking on the door and it’s exciting. But I reckon for not just those two players at the top, but for the rest of the group, it’s a good sign that we show that we back you guys,” he added.
It is a similar view to captain Shreyas Iyer’s before the first T20I. But, some India fans have grown frustrated regarding the decision not to play the 15-year-old sensation, who smashed 776 runs in IPL 2026 at a remarkable strike rate of 237.30.
“Only a combination of an ultra egoistic coach and an extremely insecure captain would deny a talent like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his debut for three matches in a row, two of which were against Ireland,” one fan wrote.
“In no other country would Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not have debuted by now. Sigh,” wrote another.
Old Trafford hosts the second T20I with the series still locked at 0-0 following a washout in Durham. India managed 189/7 with Abhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer scoring half-centuries.
