De Villiers hits out at Team India for benching Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Ireland tour: 'When will he be unleashed?'

AB de Villiers criticised the Indian team management for benching 15-year-old swashbuckling opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi throughout the two-match T20 series against Ireland.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was named as part of India's T20 squad for the upcoming Ireland and England tours. Image: Reuters

FirstCricket Staff|Jul 03, 2026, 12:28:51 IST

Former South Africa cricketer AB de Villiers criticised Team India's decision not to include Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in their playing XI during the Ireland series.

Vaibhav was made to warm the bench during the India tour of Ireland, where the visitors suffered a historic 0-2 whitewash at the hands of the hosts in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The 15-year-old was expected to make an appearance during the Ireland tour after producing a breakout showcase in the IPL 2026 season, where he won the Orange Cap award for scoring the most runs in the tournament. But India has begun the England tour, and Vaibhav is yet to make his debut for Team India.

'The Ireland series was the perfect opportunity'

Speaking on his YouTube channel, De Villiers believes Vaibhav debuting in the Ireland tour would've been the perfect opportunity for the flamboyant young opener to gain international experience.

The former Proteas cricketer went on to disagree with coach Ryan ten Doeschate's perspective that Vaibhav should go through the usual process and believes he should've been thrown into the deep end against a lower-ranked international side.

“When will he be unleashed? I thought the Ireland series was the perfect opportunity for him to come in and get a feel for international cricket. It was unfortunate that he never got an opportunity.

"I beg to differ with Ryan Ten Doeschate, saying Suryavanshi has to go through the process like any other player. After the IPL he had, it was time to throw him into the deep end, especially against a lower team like Ireland," de Villiers said.

De Villiers believes India needs to regroup

Following the historic Ireland series defeat and a rocky start to the England tour, De Villiers believes Team India needs 'some work to do' and saw the need to 'regroup, reset, and find a method to play in the UK.'

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If Team India intends to use Vaibhav, they would need to drop either Sanju Samson or Ishan Kishan, who failed to make an impact in the first T20 match in Chester-le-Street. Should they choose to include the 15-year-old cricketer is yet to be seen.

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