---
title: "Gavaskar Call Puts Sooryavanshi In England Selection Spotlight"
canonical: "https://readcricket.com/2026/06/29/gavaskar-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-england-selection/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "ryan"
section: "International Cricket"
published: "2026-06-29T17:39:48Z"
modified: "2026-06-29T17:40:09Z"
---

# Gavaskar Call Puts Sooryavanshi In England Selection Spotlight

**Sunil Gavaskar has raised the pressure on India’s selectors by calling for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to be used immediately in the T20I series opener against England at Chester-le-Street.**

The debate has sharpened after India’s difficult Belfast stop, with Shreyas Iyer’s side now moving into a five-match England series that starts on 1 July. The [ICC confirmed](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/new-captain-teen-sensation-named-in-india-s-t20i-squad) Sooryavanshi was named in India’s squads for both the Ireland and England assignments, while Iyer was installed as the new T20I captain in a group also featuring Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh.

https://x.com/sportstarweb/status/2063170882990752044

## Why the opener call matters

Gavaskar’s argument is simple: if India have picked a specialist powerplay disruptor, delaying him through another series risks wasting the very quality that made his selection bold. Sooryavanshi’s recent A-team burst in Sri Lanka underlined that ceiling, with [Cricbuzz recording](https://www.cricbuzz.com/live-cricket-scores/156179/sla-vs-inda-final-tri-nation-a-series-in-sri-lanka-2026) his 94 from 29 balls in India A’s 66-run final win over Sri Lanka A.

India’s top order already carries Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, so selection is not straightforward. But England’s own white-ball reset, including James Coles’ call-up in the [India T20I squad story](https://readcricket.com/2026/06/23/james-coles-england-india-t20i-squad/), gives this series a wider experimental edge.

If Sooryavanshi plays at Durham, it will be more than a debut. It will be a public test of whether India are ready to back extreme youth when the calendar, the conditions and the noise are all pushing in the opposite direction.