Kaif questions timing of teenager's baptism in international cricket

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has taken aim at the Indian team management over their handling of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, insisting the 15-year-old opener should have been handed his international debut during the Ireland series rather than being blooded against a formidable England side.

Sooryavanshi earned his maiden India call-up on the back of an outstanding IPL 2026 campaign and was selected for the tours of Ireland and England. However, he did not get a game in Ireland, and only after Sanju Samson struggled with the bat did the team management turn to the youngster mid-series in England.

'He should have gotten special treatment'

Kaif, who represented India in 13 Tests and 125 ODIs, believes the teenager's confidence would have been far higher had his debut come in the less pressurised environment of Ireland.

"Vaibhav is an X-factor player. He made a reputation for himself. His bat did the talking in the IPL despite him being in the spotlight. He didn't just perform in one or two matches. He won the Orange Cap. He should have played in Ireland; the nervousness would have gone in that case. He would have reached England and performed well," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

"He was having a rich vein of form behind him; he had won the Orange Cap. But you told him you serve water first. He's a special player; you could have played him directly in Ireland. He should have gotten special treatment. If he played in Ireland, he would not have had any nervousness in the UK."

Tough initiation in England

The teenager endured a difficult start to life in international cricket, scoring 14, 13 and 15 in the three T20Is he played against England before being left out of the fifth and final match, with Samson returning to the playing XI.

Kaif suggested the youngster's international journey was made more difficult than it needed to be, pointing to the quality of the attack he faced.

"He didn't perform well in England; you dropped him. Sooryavanshi was playing against Archer. He hasn't played in India yet, but I am sure he will score a lot of runs when he plays here. Sooryavanshi's India journey was tough; it could have been made easier," he said.

Zimbabwe redemption vindicates Kaif's point

Sooryavanshi responded to the setback in emphatic fashion during the T20I series against Zimbabwe. The left-hander began the tour with a half-century in the opening match, added 20 in the second game and then smashed 81 off 49 balls in the third T20I as India completed a 3-0 series sweep.

He finished with 151 runs in three matches at an average of 50.33 and was named the Player of the Series — a turnaround that Kaif believes only reinforces his argument.

"It was made tough for him. He's a special talent; you shouldn't have dropped him. You should have played him in Ireland. Now see, against Zimbabwe, he won the Player of the Series award," Kaif said.