NEW DELHI: India coach Gautam Gambhir said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his chance to break into the side after he left the 15-year-old prodigy on the sidelines of their three-match Twenty20 series sweep against Afghanistan.
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson opened for India in the series, with Abhishek scoring the third-fastest century in T20 internationals in Thursday’s 127-run victory in New Delhi.
Sooryavanshi, who was the highest scorer in this year’s Indian Premier League, made his international debut against England in July but the top-order batter failed to make an impact as the hosts dominated India in the T20 series.
He scored two fifties against Zimbabwe in Harare later that month but has not played for India since.
“Whether you’re a 15-year-old or a 30-year-old, when you have to wait for your opportunity you have to wait for your opportunity,” Gambhir told reporters after the match. “We know the kind of talent he has and what he can do, but someone who has been performing for the last two to three years will always be ahead of someone who has just entered the team.”
Sooryavanshi will travel to Nagoya for India’s Asian Games campaign, with a one-off T20 against hosts Japan set for Tuesday before the Asiad quarter-final on September 28.
“Whenever he gets his run, he will get a longer run as well ... we want competition and talent in the dressing room,” Gambhir added.
Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2026
