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Will teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi make his debut for India’s senior cricket team in the first match of the two-match T20 series against Ireland?
It has been the most talked about topic among cricket fans ever since the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel announced the squad for the tour of the United Kingdom and the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
Will Vaibhav Suryavanshi play the first T20 match against Ireland?
Before the match to be held in Belfast, Indian cricket team’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has opened his mouth about the debut of Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The southpaw batted for almost an hour in the nets.
Putting the ball in the court of head coach Gautam Gambhir and newly appointed captain Shreyas Iyer, Kotak says that whether Vaibhav Suryavanshi will play against Ireland or not depends entirely on the decision of Gambhir and Iyer.
Sitanshu Kotak on Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s debut – Shreyas and Gautam Gambhir will decide the XI in the evening. #TeamIndia #INDvsIRE #PressConference pic.twitter.com/V7gjQnfhFu
— Ankan Kar (@AnkanKar) June 25, 2026
Vaibhav Suryavanshi left his mark in many tournaments
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, at just 15, is on the verge of making his debut for the Men in Blue. But the question of when is not yet clear.
There are high chances for the budding batsman to play his first match for the Indian national cricket team against Ireland as after the conclusion of the third match T20I, Team India will face England for a high-profile white ball series.
Suryavanshi has been scoring runs continuously for the last few months. Be it with Rajasthan Royals in the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) or with India A-team during the recently concluded triangular ODI series, the opening batsman left his mark positively.
During the press conference, Sitanshu Kotak was asked about the possibility of seeing Vaibhav bat in the first T20I against the home team in Belfast. Ahead of the match, the Bihar-born player took batting training with the team for the first time.
Kotak is one of those who has been keeping an eye on the emerging talent since his Under-19 days. Therefore, he is well aware of how much talent and potential the batsman possesses inside him. Kotak highlighted that the 15-year-old has faced many world-class bowlers during the Indian Premier League.
“Vaibhav has come here for the first time. I have seen him in the Under-19 team. (But I think he is an outstanding talent. Everyone knows him. The way he is playing in IPL. And according to the BCCA system, the U-19 players who come from India. He more or less understands the culture of his Indian team. So, it is not that there is much difference for them,” the Indian cricket team batting coach told reporters.
Sitanshu Kotak broke his silence on the burning topic
Kotak says that the team will be confirmed in the evening, but nothing has been decided yet. The captain and head coach will decide who will play or not.
“The team will be decided in the evening. But he has made his debut in the Indian team. He is like the rest of us. So, when the time comes, I am sure he will make his debut. But it is difficult to say whether he will do this tomorrow or in the next match. He can do this in the evening when the team is decided. Gautam and Shreyas. After that, Sitanshu Kotak said on the debut of Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
