Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Potential Debut: India's Youngest Cricketer Faces Selection Dilemma

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may be on the verge of becoming India's youngest international cricketer, but batting coach Sitanshu Kotak made it clear that the teenager's opportunity should not come at the cost of a player who is already performing. India begin their two-match T20I series against Ireland on Friday, and if Sooryavanshi is picked in the playing XI, the 15-year-old will become the youngest player to represent India. The team management, led by captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir, faces a selection call ahead of the opener. One option could be to bring Sooryavanshi into the side in place of Abhishek Sharma and have him open alongside Sanju Samson or vice versa. Speaking on the eve of the match, Kotak praised the teenager's ability but said team selection must also be fair to players who have already been scoring runs. "Vaibhav is very talented, there is no doubt. And the way he has batted in IPL and all the other games, there is no need to tell that he has got a lot of natural abilities. Because in IPL he has faced Jofra, a lot of quick bowlers, a lot of experienced bowlers. And it seems that nothing is bothering him. So he is obviously an extraordinary talent," Kotak said, as quoted by news agency PTI. "Today evening, captain and head coach will decide about the team. And if he plays great, if he doesn't play also for me, that is great because he is part of Indian team. And I am sure that he will get his dues and his opportunities. So I don't think that just to give him an opportunity, we should drop someone who has already been scoring runs. "That also won't be right. I think there is a very thin line between trying to give somebody an opportunity and you are being unfair to some other player," said Kotak. Kotak said the depth of talent in Indian cricket has made selection increasingly difficult and admitted that even selectors have a tough job. "If you ask me, there is so much talent in India that even the selectors have a headache. Honestly saying, I don't have such a big headache because I am not the head coach and the captain. But sometimes it is tough." "But we also have to remember one thing that those who are already performing, they should never be ignored, as I believe. Those who are already scoring, winning games for the team. BCCI's structure is such that players will keep coming," said Kotak when asked how difficult it is to leave out players from a World Cup-winning squad.