Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the teenaged opening batter who lit up IPL 2026 with 776 runs at a strike-rate of 237.30, is fully prepared for international cricket — but will need to 'bide his time and wait' given the competition for opening slots in the India T20I side, according to assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. The comments came in Belfast on 29 June after India suffered a shock 2-0 series loss to Ireland, with Sooryavanshi going unused across both matches.

Ten Doeschate on Sooryavanshi's readiness

Speaking at the conclusion of the Ireland series, ten Doeschate was unequivocal about the youngster's quality. 'He's absolutely ready to play international cricket, there's no doubt about that,' the coach said. However, he made clear that displacing an established opener is not straightforward. 'It's not a question to say you can leave Sanju Samson out — a guy who went a long way to winning India the World Cup three months ago,' he added.

Ten Doeschate emphasised that the team management wants to reward consistency and give players extended runs. 'We want to give guys a long run in the team. So, as ready as Vaibhav is and as excited as we are and you are to see him play, he's going to have to go through the same process as everyone else and, you know, bide his time and wait. But certainly no questions about how good he is and how ready he is,' he said.

What the England series means for Sooryavanshi

Sooryavanshi is now part of India's squad travelling to England for a five-match T20I series beginning in Durham on 1 July. The series presents a potential opening: should either Sanju Samson or Abhishek Sharma fail to convert starts into significant scores, the door for Sooryavanshi's long-anticipated international debut could open. The England conditions — pace-friendly, seaming tracks — will be a different test from what awaits in a typical sub-continental T20I, making the selection calculus more complex.

India's 2-0 loss: Ten Doeschate's honest assessment

Ten Doeschate declined to use Ireland's limited training facilities or the tight scheduling as an excuse for the series defeat. 'No excuse. If we're really critical of ourselves, it's the desire to want to adapt and to play differently when you are presented with a different challenge. We put our hands up, and say that's something we need to get better at a lot quicker,' he said candidly.

He acknowledged that arriving in Belfast on Thursday ahead of the first match left India short of adequate preparation time, noting that the training facilities were 'not ideal.' Still, he maintained he would not have done things differently in hindsight, citing the importance of keeping players mentally fresh.

Praise for Ireland's historic win

Ten Doeschate, who represented the Netherlands during his playing career, was effusive in his praise for Ireland's landmark series victory over a full-strength India side. 'I wouldn't even say we had two bad days. I thought the Irish were fantastic over both days,' he said. He highlighted that Ireland's approach was measured rather than spectacular — 'not a razzmatazz 240, 250 type of cricket' — but smart enough to post two winning totals. 'To see them make progress like that and just win by making the most of what they have is very impressive, and we take our hats off to them,' he concluded.

India will look to regroup quickly as the focus shifts to the England T20I series, where the pressure on the top-order — and the question of Sooryavanshi's debut — will only intensify.