'He can't walk in right now': Shreyas Iyer holds Vaibhav Sooryavanshi back from India T20I XI

India captain urges patience for teenage prodigy

India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer has made it clear that 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for regular opportunities in the playing XI, with established openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson continuing to deliver at the top of the order.

Despite the teenager's impressive rise, Iyer believes there is no need to rush his integration into the side, pointing out that India's current opening combination has been performing consistently and played a key role in the team's successful defence of the T20 World Cup title earlier this year.

Speaking on the eve of India's five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Iyer stressed that the youngster has plenty of time to establish himself at the international level and should remain comfortable within the team environment while waiting for his opportunities.

"It's important that a talent like him (Sooryavanshi) should always be happy around the dressing room," Iyer said. "He is very young, he has more years to get opportunities. It's not like he can walk in right now, because our openers are scoring consistently, and they have won the World Cup."

Sooryavanshi was included in India's squads for the England and Ireland tours earlier this year. However, he has featured in only eight of the 21 T20Is India have played since then, with Sharma and Samson largely retaining their places as the first-choice opening pair. The youngster was given an opportunity to open during the Asian Games, where Samson moved down to No. 3 to accommodate him at the top of the order.

While Iyer does not expect Sooryavanshi to walk straight into the playing XI, he believes the experience of touring overseas and getting a feel for different conditions will benefit the youngster in the long run.

"So, if you see, when he is coming overseas, he will get a fair idea how to play on these particular wickets. Next time, whenever he comes in these conditions, he will be very well-prepared. And he can also instruct the other team members, whoever comes here for the first time."

Patience has been the message all along

Iyer's stance is consistent with his recent comments. On 18 October 2026, after India's 2-2 T20I series draw against the West Indies — a series in which the fifth match in Bengaluru was abandoned due to rain — Iyer urged Sooryavanshi to stay patient after the teenager missed all five matches.

The following day, on 19 October 2026, former India opener Aakash Chopra argued there was "no other way" but to keep Sooryavanshi out of the XI ahead of the New Zealand series, describing the situation as heartbreaking but suggesting the 15-year-old be released to play Ranji Trophy if he remained on the bench. Chopra also defended Tilak Varma against criticism.

For now, with Sharma and Samson in form and a World Cup crown to their name, Sooryavanshi's path into the XI remains blocked — but India's captain is adamant the wait will serve the teenager well.