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India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has backed 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as being absolutely ready for international cricket, while stressing the need for continuity and patience in team selection following India's 2-0 T20I series whitewash to Ireland, reported Cricinfo.
Speaking after the Men in Blue were whitewashed, ten Doeschate said there was no doubt about Sooryavanshi's potential at the highest level, but added that he would have to wait for his opportunity. "He's absolutely ready to play international cricket, there's no doubt about that," ten Doeschate said, as quoted by Cricinfo. Sooryavanshi was fast-tracked into the national T20I side after a spectacular IPL 2026 season, where he finished with the Player of the Tournament honours for his 776 runs in 16 innings, scored at 237.30. The national selectors said he had forced their hand with his outrageous talent and performances, but the team management has not been as quick to put him into the first XI during their shock series defeat to Ireland. However, the India assistant coach underlined that experienced players such as Sanju Samson could not be overlooked, citing their recent contributions. "But also, I think it's not a question to say you can leave Sanju Samson out. A guy who went a long way to winning India the World Cup three months ago. A guy who's had a fairly good IPL," he said. Ten Doeschate further emphasised the importance of maintaining a stable dressing room environment and giving players an extended run in the side. "It's important in terms of giving players confidence, and the message we're sending to players. We want to give guys a long run in the team," he said. He added that despite the excitement around Sooryavanshi, the young batter must follow the same pathway as others in the setup. "As ready as Vaibhav is and as excited as we are and you are to see him play, he's going to have to go through the same process as everyone else and bide his time and wait," he said. "But certainly no questions about how good he is and how ready he is," ten Doeschate added. The series triumph marked Ireland's first-ever series victory over India in any format. In the process, they not only defeated the reigning T20 World Cup champions but also ended India's remarkable 16-series winning streak in T20Is. Chasing 155 in a must-win contest, India fell just short, finishing on 153/9 to lose by one run. Earlier, despite a superb spell from Prince Yadav (3/22), who helped restrict Ireland to 154/8, India's batters could not get the job done. (ANI)
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