Former captain Michael Vaughan has urged England to target Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fielding during the upcoming T20I series against India. Vaughan said that England should bat first if they win the toss, forcing the 15-year-old to spend a full innings in the field before opening the batting and testing his stamina.
The five-match T20I series between India and England will begin on July 1 in Durham. India are currently in Ireland for a two-match T20I series. Shreyas Iyer’s side suffered a 34-run defeat in the opening T20I at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast. They will play the second and final match at the same venue on Sunday.
If I Were England, I’d Ask India to Field First – Michael Vaughan
During a recent discussion on Ajinkya Rahane’s YouTube channel, Michael Vaughan shared his strategy for bowling to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He pointed out that the 15-year-old often played as an Impact Player for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, allowing him to avoid fielding for 20 overs before batting.
“The one thing he’s going to have to cope with is his fielding. There’s no Impact Sub where he can sit on the bench. If I were England, I’d ask India to field first because then by the time Sooryavanshi comes to bat, he might be tired,” Vaughan said.
A 15-year-old Has Sent a Message to the Rest of the World – Michael Vaughan Hails Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Michael Vaughan praised the young batter for changing the way teams approach T20 cricket. The former England captain said that the 15-year-old has raised batting standards and inspired teams to aim for much bigger totals.
“There’s only one name that is being talked about here, and that is the 15-year-old kid. I think T20 cricket, particularly through Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, has taken the game to 230 being a par score. I think that is the norm now; teams are looking to get 230-plus. Opening batters are going harder than ever. It is almost as if a 15-year-old has sent a message to the rest of the world that T20 cricket can go to another level,” Michael Vaughan said.
Will India Hand Vaibhav Sooryavanshi His Debut After Ireland Defeat?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earned his India call-up after an outstanding year across age-group and franchise cricket. He scored 175 runs in the U19 World Cup final and followed it up with 776 runs for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026. The southpaw recently smashed 94 off just 29 balls for India A against Sri Lanka A.
However, the 15-year-old remained on the bench in the first T20I against Ireland as India backed the opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. However, the decision did not pay off, with India falling well short while chasing 183 and getting bowled out for 148 to suffer a 34-run defeat.
India now face a must-win second T20I on Sunday, June 28, to avoid a series defeat. After the batting unit struggled in the opener, the team management could hand Sooryavanshi his much-awaited senior international debut.
Go to Source
Author: Sai Vaitla
