The Double Edged Debut: India's Faustian Bargain with Youthful Talent Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has expressed concerns over the timing and strategy behind the debut of 15 year old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
According to Kaif, sending Sooryavanshi to England for his international bow was a misstep, as he would have benefited from playing against Ireland instead.
Sooryavanshi's rapid rise to prominence in the IPL 2026 season earned him an India call up, but his subsequent struggles on debut – scoring modestly in three T20Is before being left out of the fifth match – have raised questions about whether he was rushed into the fray.