IND vs ENG: AB de Villiers shares his verdict on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi India debut

Former captain of South Africa and well-known as Mr. 360, AB de Villiers, has expressed his views on the inclusion of young Indian player Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI, a choice that has caused controversy within the cricket community. 

So far, several legendary players such as Ravi Shastri, Alaistair Cook, Michael Vaughan are demanding from Indian team management to include Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the India playing XI. They all believe that Sooryavanshi should have made his international debut against Ireland.  

However, some believe that a proven player should not be dropped just to give Sooryavanshi an opportunity. The management has indeed followed this approach so far; for the series against Ireland and England, they fielded the same opening pair that played in the 2026 T20 World Cup—a duo that has been the first-choice opening pair in the T20I format for the past two years.

AB de Villiers has also weighed in on this matter. He believes that Sooryavanshi should have been given a chance against Ireland—an opportunity that did not materialize. He stated that after delivering a stellar performance in IPL 2026, he should now get the chance to experience international cricket.

"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 Sooryavanshi 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-ranked team like Ireland, to get a bit of experience," De Villiers said.

De Villiers also spoke about Team India's 0-2 series loss against Ireland. He believes the 'Men in Blue' need to reset and regroup. He also suggests that Indian batters should play with aggressive approach but they have to respect the conditions first. 

"There is some work to do for Team India. They need to regroup, reset, and find a method to play in the UK. It's not easy in those conditions, where the scores are not like they are in the IPL. You don't get to the 250s and 260s there. It is more strategic and tactical out there, where sometimes 140 or 160 is enough," said de Villiers. 

The India vs England 5-match T20I series is currently underway. The first T20I ended in a  No-result contest due to rain. The second T20I is scheduled to be played at the Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester on July 4.