ENG vs IND: Why did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fail to perform in his first 3 T20Is?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his international debut in the ENG vs IND 2nd T20I in Manchester.

India’s young gun Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been in the spotlight due to his performances over the past year and a half. After impressing with his performances in domestic cricket since the start of 2026 and IPL 2026, he eventually got a national call-up in the T20I series against Ireland in June.

The Indian management benched him in both the T20Is against Ireland. However, Sooryavanshi finally got an opportunity to make his international debut in the T20I series against England.

In the second ENG vs IND T20I at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, Sooryavanshi replaced Sanju Samson in the playing XI. Sanju was dropped following his series of low scores in both games against Ireland and the opening game against England.

Although Vaibhav has always impressed with his performances on big platforms, he could not replicate his heroics in his first three international games. On his debut, he started well with two sixes but lost his wicket through a stumping, scoring just 14 runs off 10 deliveries.

In the next two encounters, he lost his wicket for 13 and 15, respectively. Across three games, he has scored just 42 runs at an average of 14.0. Although he has a strike rate of 168, he could not hit even a single decent knock across his first three games.

Reasons behind Sooryavanshi’s struggles in his first three T20Is

Although there’s no doubt about Sooryavanshi’s batting skills, a few factors are responsible for his poor outings in his first three international games. To begin with, India’s losing streak under new captain Shreyas Iyer has put the team under pressure.

Notably, India suffered a humiliating whitewash against Ireland in the two-match series in June, losing against them for the first time in international cricket. It was Vaibhav’s first international campaign, during which he witnessed the team’s disappointing performance.

Samson was dropped for his poor performance and replaced by Sooryavanshi as opener. This decision must have added pressure on the latter to perform well, as he was chosen over a world-class batter.

Another reason for his dismal performances is his weakness against short balls. He has become a victim of short balls in the ENG vs IND T20I series. Even in IPL 2026, he struggled against short balls.

Moreover, he has not batted as per the conditions in England. He has adopted an aggressive stroke-playing approach right from the start of the innings and has not played according to the match situation.

The pitch in England offers swing and assistance to seamers, but the Indian youngster has tried to hit hard from the start, a strategy that has cost him so far.

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