'My hands are also tied': India captain Shreyas Iyer reacts to calls for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's debut ahead of England T20Is

After enduring a shameful T20I series loss against Ireland, India will lock horns against England in the first T20I of the five-game series on July 1 at the Riverside Ground in England. The question on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi playing his first ever international game still remains the same, as he was surprisingly sitting on the bench in the series against Ireland.

Shreyas Iyer opens up Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's potential debut

Ahead of the first T20I against the Three Lions, newly appointed Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer has opened up on the 15-year-old opener, saying he can not let everyone know the team combination before the game, as it will help the opposition while appreciating Sooryavanshi's potential to shine in the international circuit.

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"See, you never know what’s going to happen. My hands are also tied at the moment in terms of what we’re going to do, because this is very private. This is something we discuss in the team. We can’t let everyone know what combination we’re going to play and let the opponents know what’s going to happen. So definitely he’s a brilliant prodigy, and whenever he gets an opportunity to play, he’ll do brilliantly," said Iyer on Tuesday.

While opening up on not dropping anyone of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan to accommodate space for Vaibhav in the playing XI, the Indian skipper said that it is very important to create a safe and secure environment in the dressing room, as everyone who played in the lineup has done well for the country in the recent past.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's historic IPL campaign

The teenage sensation from Bihar's Samastipur, enjoyed a record-breaking individual campaign for the Rajasthan-based franchise in the IPL 2026. In 16 outings, Vaibhav managed to score 776 runs at an average of 48.50 at a staggering strike rate of 237.30. The left-handed opener recorded four half-centuries and one hundred in the 2026 edition. Notably, he also won the Orange Cap award in the season.