AT20I debut against Ireland may not have materialised, but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is preparing even harder, hoping for an opportunity in the upcoming series against England starting this Wednesday.
Sooryavanshi was spotted sweating it out in the nets ahead of the first T20I at Chester-le-Street. While other teenagers his age might have been disheartened by missing out on the Ireland matches, Sooryavanshi chose to put in extra effort, displaying the same grit and determination that saw him rattle opponents in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
While Sooryavanshi warmed the bench during the second T20I against Ireland, Punjab Kings star Suryansh Shedge earned his maiden India cap. Speaking ahead of the white-ball series opener against England, Shedge highlighted a specific aspect of Sooryavanshi’s game that makes him an incredibly rare talent.
“His mentality is incredible. He genuinely enjoys batting and never overcomplicates things. He has such supreme belief in his ability that even if he gets out for a duck, he doesn’t let it affect him. He backs himself to score a hundred off 30 balls in the next game. That kind of self-belief is rare. He doesn’t carry any baggage from the previous delivery or the previous match; he lives in the moment and plays with complete freedom. That is what makes him so dangerous. He is the perfect example of being instinctive and playing without fear,” Shedge told JioHotstar.
Shedge also opened up about his bond with India’s newly appointed T20I skipper, Shreyas Iyer, who also captains him at their IPL franchise, Punjab Kings.
“I talk a lot with Shreyas Iyer bhai. We spend a lot of time together off the field as well. We are constantly talking about cricket-discussing batting, bowling, match situations, and how to handle pressure. During the IPL season, we watch other games together and discuss what we would do in those scenarios. Those conversations are always healthy and continuous. It helps me learn a lot from his experience,” he added.