Former India batter S Badrinath has urged the team management to seriously consider handing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his India debut, arguing that the teenage sensation’s red-hot form should not be wasted at a time when Sanju Samson is struggling for runs in the national set-up.
The debate around Sooryavanshi’s non-selection has grown louder after India’s shock T20I series defeat to Ireland and Samson’s continued lean patch at the top of the order. Samson, who has been backed as one of India’s opening options in the post-World Cup phase, has managed only 5, 0 and 1 in his last three international innings, increasing the noise around whether India should look beyond him and unleash Sooryavanshi.
Badrinath, speaking on his YouTube channel Cric It with Badri, said the timing was ideal for India to play Sooryavanshi because the youngster was currently operating at the peak of his confidence.
“Timing is very important for a player in form. He should be given a chance when he is in the form of his life. There is no use playing him when he’s not in form. Confidence is everything in sports, and he is high on confidence right now. So he must play. Also, let’s not forget, Sanju Samson has been continuously failing since the T20 World Cup. He hasn’t done anything great since the World Cup,” Badrinath said.
Sooryavanshi’s case has become difficult to ignore after a sensational run over the past few months. The teenager finished IPL 2026 as one of the biggest talking points of the tournament, piling up runs with the kind of intent India appeared to lack during the Ireland series. He then carried that form into India A colours, producing a blistering 94 off just 29 balls in the Tri-Nation A-series final.
The issue for India, however, is not simply whether Sooryavanshi deserves a chance. It is about where he fits in. The left-hander is a top-order batter, and bringing him into the XI would almost certainly require India to disturb the opening combination. That is where Samson’s poor returns have made the conversation sharper.
Badrinath says Samson question must be considered
Badrinath clarified that he was not directly calling for Samson to be dropped, but said India had to think seriously about leaving an in-form Sooryavanshi on the bench while Samson’s numbers remained underwhelming.
“Though I don’t advocate dropping Samson, it’s something to think about when an in-form Sooryavanshi is sitting out,” he added.
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The former India batter also pointed to India’s batting approach in the Ireland defeats, suggesting that Sooryavanshi’s natural aggression could help address a visible problem. “There was a lack of intent with the bat in the two losses against Ireland. That makes it all the more a reason for Team India to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Badrinath said.
The call comes at a delicate time for India. On one hand, Samson has pedigree, IPL runs and prior match-winning value. On the other, Sooryavanshi’s form, fearlessness and public excitement around him have made every match he misses feel like a bigger selection statement.
For now, the team management must decide whether patience with Samson remains the better long-term call, or whether Sooryavanshi’s form is too strong, and too timely, to ignore.