Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's fleeting cameo during India A's opening match draws mixed response: 'Highly hyped, but failed'

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's dominant outing in the 2026 Indian Premier League paved the way for him to the Indian cricket team. The left-handed opener is the youngest to break into the senior men’s side since Sachin Tendulkar, who debuted at 16 and went on to become the ‘God of Cricket.’

The teenage batting sensation recently featured in 50-over action for India A, and fans were rooting for Vaibhav to deliver an IPL-like impact in the tri-series in Sri Lanka.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fails to carry IPL form during India A fixture

At the tri-series opener on Tuesday, Vaibhav was off the mark with an elegant boundary in the first delivery of Mohamed Shiraz's opening over during India A's innings. He belted another boundary over cover, showcasing the ultimate swagger.

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Vaibhav continued his feisty strokeplay in Chamika Karunaratne's spell with a boundary in the first ball of the third over and looked in fine touch, just like he did in IPL.

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Vaibhav's knock, however, came to a premature halt when he struck the ball straight towards mid-off, and SL-A captain Sahan Arachchige claimed an outstanding diving catch to dismiss the teen batting phenomenon. Siraz's celebration showed how much the wicket meant for the team as the 15-year-old could easily inflict major damage with the bat.

Fans debate over Vaibhav's brief knock

India A picked up a thrilling eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka A in the tri-series opener on Tuesday. But Vaibhav's shaky start during India A's series-opening fixture provoked mixed reactions from fans on social media.

A critic expressed that the 15-year-old was heavily hyped but failed to deliver in the series-opening clash, while another deemed it a rare failure for the opener after IPL 2026

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Another user pointed out that the real challenge for Vaibhav would be to come out stronger in unfamiliar conditions.

Some fans also predicted that the 15-year-old would bounce back, while another believes he will pick up a 150 to 170-run knock in India A's next fixture.

India A will now face Afghanistan A on Thursday, June 11, at Dambulla.