Former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly his warned against piling up expectations on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in Ireland and England. The 15-year-old created history by becoming the youngest player to earn a maiden India call-up, as he was picked in the squads for the series against Ireland and England, and the Asian Games 2026. Ganguly has flagged that playing T20Is in India was very different from playing in the UK and Ireland, and has urged that the batter should be allowed to settle down.
‘Don’t expect the world from him’
As per news agency PTI, Ganguly pointed out that playing in England and Ireland will be different, as the pitches wary from what he is used to playing in in India. He noted that the there will be more seam, bounce and movement, adding that while the game might be different, Sooryavanshi posses enormous amount of talent. The former Indian captain fired a warning to the team management, noting that they shouldn’t expect the world from the 15-year-old straightaway and that he must be allowed to settle down.
“Obviously, playing for India is different and he will be touring where the wickets will be a little different. It will seam and there will be a bit more bounce and a bit more movement with the new ball, so the game is a bit different, but I think he’s got enormous talent. So just let him be, don’t expect the world from him straightaway. Just allow him to settle down because you know he’s got a lot of talent like many others in India,” Ganguly said.
Sooryavanshi is no stranger to playing on foreign pitches, having being a part of the India U19 side which has played various tournaments on foreign soil. However, this is the first time that he will be a part of the senior team, which poses bigger challenges. While he has showcased his ability to take on world-class bowlers in the IPL, the challenge of facing them in the UK and Ireland is quite different, for the surfaces completely vary from what they are in India.
Vaibhav, who has witnessed a meteoric rise over the last couple of years, emerged as the Orange Cap winner 776 runs in IPL 2026. He also surpassed Chris Gaye’s record for scoring the most sixes in an IPL season. He played a key role in India’s triumph in the U19 World Cup, having slammed a century in the final.
