Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is still waiting for his maiden appearance in India's senior T20I side after being left out of the playing XI for the opening match of the five-game series against England. Before England match, he was also not selected in the playing XI for the two-match T20I series against Ireland. The young talent received a national call-up after a tremendous IPL 2026 campaign; however, he hasn't yet been handed his debut cap. 

The reason behind Sooryavasnhi's continued wait is India's experienced opening combination in the form of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who have received backing from management. Both players played their big part in India's successful campaign at the T20I World Cup. But Samson has been out of form lately. 

The wicketkeeper-batter endured a disappointing two-match T20I series against Ireland, managing scores of 5 and 0, respectively. He also struggled in the series opener against England, where he scored a single run. Despite this, the management has gone ahead with the experienced opener. Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Saba Karim supported India's decision to remain patient with Sooryavanshi. 

"I don't think so at this stage. Sanju Samson is a fabulous player. He has been a match-winner. He had a very good IPL season. Before that, he was the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup. What are we looking at? Sanju Samson would be thinking, 'Why is everyone pointing the gun at me?'" Saba said on Star Sports' show 'Follow the Blues'.

Saba Karim further said that this is a good opportunity for Sooryavanshi to learn while being part of the senior Indian team.

"Even for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, this is a good learning curve. He also gets to understand that to get into this Indian team XI, you have to earn your call-up. This environment will help him grow as a player and as a human being. Although he has got such an incredible amount of talent, when you get into such a competitive environment, you need to bide your time," he added.