“Play him in the first game”. Sunil Gavaskar urges India to release Vaibhav Sooryavanshi against England Cricket News:

MUMBAI: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has backed teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his India debut in the opening T20I against England in Durham on Wednesday, saying the 15-year-old can provide the spark India need after their disappointing 0-2 series loss in Ireland.India’s batting unit has struggled throughout the series in Ireland under new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, prompting calls for changes ahead of the five-match series against England. Gavaskar believes that Sooryavanshi’s unpredictability will work in India’s favour.“I hope Sooryavanshi will play the first game as it is the start of a new series and he will get the team off to a flying start. This is the best way to recover from the series loss against Ireland,” Gavaskar said.He admitted that adapting Sooryavanshi to the playing XI was a challenge given the performances of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, but argued that the youngster’s lack of familiarity with England could be a decisive factor.“So, if he goes, he can take the game and I think that’s what India needs at this particular point of time, after this loss, for someone who can make an immediate impact. So, the host nation England is put on the backfoot immediately,” Gavaskar added.

Sunil Gavaskar backed Iyer, saying patience is needed

Despite Shreyas Iyer’s poor start as India’s T20I captain, Gavaskar urged patience, pointing out that adapting to leadership at the international level takes time.“I think with any new relationship, there’s always a little bit of time to understand the support staff and the playing staff to understand what’s expected of them,” he said.“Shreyas Iyer’s leadership has been proven over the years in the T20 format. We’ve seen him win trophies, win titles and get teams into the knockouts and get teams into the final.Gavaskar also felt that the Indian batters needed to adapt better to the conditions after struggling on the seamer-friendly pitches in Belfast.“In any form of the game and almost in any game, I think you play the situation,” he said, adding that shot selection and decision-making let India down in Ireland.Gavaskar also backed Rohit Sharma to silence doubts about his future in the upcoming ODI series against England.“So, I think England is a very good platform for him to show that even a year and a half down the road, he will open the batting for India there,” he said.On England pacer Jofra Archer, Gavaskar said his impact always depends on his mindset on the day.“He is a top class bowler and you know, when he is, if I say, if I use the word, when he is in the mood, he can cause problems for anybody,” he said.Gavaskar added that Ben Stokes’ retirement did not surprise him completely, although he expected the England all-rounder to leave at the end of the home season rather than sooner.(Watch India Tour of England 2026, England vs India, 1st T20I on July 1, 2026, from 10:00 PM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada) Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD, Sony MAX).