No room for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? India's teenage sensation faces tough wait

Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel believes teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will get his chance during India's T20I series against England, but insisted the team management must communicate clearly with the 15-year-old if he is left out of the playing XI.

Speaking on JioStar's Game Plan ahead of the second T20I in Manchester, Patel stressed that India already have several established batters ahead of Sooryavanshi in the pecking order and that managing the youngster's expectations is crucial.

Parthiv Patel: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will get an opportunity

While backing Sooryavanshi's long-term prospects, Patel said there is currently no room for him in India's strongest XI given the presence of experienced performers such as Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan.

"I feel Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will definitely get an opportunity at some point in this series. But at this stage, communication is extremely important. When you're part of the coaching staff, you have to make sure you communicate clearly with the players. Even if you're not going to play him, you have to tell him that."

Patel added that handling a player as young as Sooryavanshi requires extra care.

"He's a 15-year-old kid, so you need to be very careful with him and advise him to be patient. There are a lot of players who have also done really well. Sanju Samson was the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup. Ishan Kishan, who is batting at three, is the ICC's No. 1-ranked T20I batter, while Abhishek Sharma is No. 2. At this point in time, there isn't a place for Vaibhav in the XI, and that needs to be communicated to him really well."

Patel urges patience with Sanju Samson

Patel also defended Sanju Samson after his dismissal in the first T20I, saying the conditions made stroke-making difficult and there was no reason for the wicketkeeper-batter to panic.

"The ball was swinging a bit, there was some spongy bounce as well, and it wasn't coming onto the bat nicely. So, it was very important to be in a decisive position while playing that shot. Sanju Samson was still slightly moving when he played it. The ball stopped a bit, and because of that, he lacked control."

He maintained that while runs are important, Samson's place should not be judged on a single innings.

Shreyas Iyer's knock was a 'masterclass'

Patel reserved special praise for captain Shreyas Iyer, whose composed half-century helped stabilise India's innings after early setbacks.

"Those raising questions over Shreyas Iyer would have felt a lot more relieved after this innings. As a player, Shreyas Iyer doesn't have to worry about anything. He's a proven performer in this format."

Patel highlighted Iyer's ability to adapt instead of relying solely on power-hitting.

"It was a very important innings because India had lost two early wickets, while at the other end, Abhishek Sharma was batting quite aggressively. So, Shreyas had to play the second fiddle rather than rely too much on hitting sixes... You have to rotate the strike, and score boundaries along the ground. I thought it was a masterclass from Shreyas Iyer, understanding the situation and the dimensions of the ground."

India's batting performance answered questions

Patel also felt India's batting display in the opening match helped answer concerns raised after the Ireland series.

"The way India's first two games against Ireland went, it was important for India to produce this kind of batting performance. There were obviously doubts about whether India could adapt to certain conditions and whether they could change their game plan. Looking at those games in Ireland, in my opinion, this innings was necessary for India, where you see a complete batting performance."