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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set very high expectations after his record-breaking IPL 2026 season, but his maiden series has not gone the way he and Indian cricket fans would have wanted. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has played some exciting shots in the ongoing five-match T20I series against England, but he has failed to turn his good starts into any impactful score.
England bowlers have kept the 15-year-old batting sensation under pressure in every match he has played on the tour and made life difficult for India's youngest star. Amid this, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma's performance vs England under scrutiny.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's dream India debut hits a reality check
Now, it has been revealed that England came into the T20I series fully prepared for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The team carefully studied his batting during the IPL 2026 and made special plans to stop him, and those plans have worked well in the three games so far.
The IPL superstar made his T20I debut in Manchester and scored 14 runs. In the next match at Trent Bridge, he could add only 13 runs. In the fourth T20I at Bristol, he got a great start but could manage only 15 runs from just 10 balls, with the series slipping away from the Men in Blue.
Jofra Archer troubles Vaibhav Sooryavanshi most
The left-handed batter looked confident at the start of his innings in Bristol. He attacked England fast bowler Josh Tongue by hitting one four and one six in the second over. It looked like he was finally ready to play a big innings. But England struck back quickly.
His Rajasthan Royals teammate and England’s leading fast bowler Jofra Archer once again dismissed Vaibhav. The left-hander tried to play an attacking shot against Archer, but he failed to time the ball properly, and Sam Curran took an easy catch. Archer had also dismissed Vaibhav at Trent Bridge. After the loss, Shreyas Iyer, Gautam Gambhir hold lengthy discussion after England series loss.
Adil Rashid reveals England's secret strategy against Vaibhav
After Vaibhav Sooryavanshi registered scores of 14, 13, and 15 in his first international assignment, England leg-spinner Adil Rashid explained how the team prepared for the Indian sensation before the ongoing T20I series.
He shared that England watched a lot of videos from the youngster's IPL season and collected data about his batting. The bowlers then followed those plans during the matches and tried to bowl in the areas where they felt they had the best chance of getting him out.
Adil Rashid was quoted as saying by News18: “He’s not been around in international cricket for long. People have seen a lot of him in the IPL and stuff. So, you get the date. Our team would have seen where he struggles and where he doesn’t, and as a bowling unit, we are trying to implement that plan. He’s got pressure on him because he is only 15. We’re taking it seriously, as we have plans against each player.”
India has given him that license: Adil Rashid
Rashid also feels the Men in Blue are doing the right thing by allowing the teenager to play his natural attacking game instead of putting extra pressure on him. However, he believes Vaibhav will have to learn how to adjust to the different conditions around the world.
He added, “They would have told him to just go out and play the way he plays. It’s only when things progress further, and when he plays in different conditions and hits a rough patch, that he’s got to adjust and find certain ways. For now, I think India has given him that license.”
