New Delhi, October 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has backed teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s talent while explaining that the youngster may have to wait for regular opportunities because of the performances and experience of established players in the team.
Sooryavanshi, 15, has already made history in international cricket. Earlier this year, he became the youngest Indian to make his international debut when he played his first T20I against England at 15 years and 99 days, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record.
He subsequently became the youngest player to score a half-century in men’s international cricket, reaching the milestone against Zimbabwe at 15 years and 118 days.
Despite his form, Sooryavanshi did not feature in India’s matches during the Afghanistan series or the one-off T20I against Japan before the Asian Games. He returned to the playing XI for the semifinal against Sri Lanka, scoring 38 off 21 balls.
Gambhir said he had spoken to the youngster about the need to remain patient when established players were performing consistently.
“It was a new experience for me as well. Yes, he was in good form, but I made him understand that sometimes, because of the players who have done well for a long time, he will have to wait for his opportunity,” Gambhir said on JioStar.
The India coach also stressed that selection should be determined by the team’s assessment of the best combination rather than outside expectations or social media discussion.
He said leaving out an established performer to accommodate Sooryavanshi would involve difficult selection calls, particularly given the contributions of players such as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.
Gambhir said India could not discard a combination that had delivered consistently over the previous one-and-a-half to two years after only a few failures. He added that creating a sense of security within the dressing room was important, even when a highly talented youngster was waiting for his chance.
Sooryavanshi scored 15 off nine balls in the Asian Games final as India defeated Pakistan by 19 runs to retain the gold medal.
At 15 years, six months and six days, he also became the youngest Indian to win an Asian Games gold medal, surpassing shooter Saurabh Chaudhary, who was 16 years, three months and nine days old when he won the men’s 10m air pistol gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
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