India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has revealed that teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was considered ready for his international debut as soon as he joined the squad, ahead of the third T20I against England in Nottingham. The 15-year-old made history in the second T20I at Manchester, becoming the youngest Indian international cricketer at 15 years and 99 days, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of 16 years and 238 days.
Vaibhav's debut and mindset
Speaking during a press conference, Kotak said: "When Vaibhav joined the team, he was set to debut anyway. It is not like he became ready just before the last match. I think the only thing regarding his game from our side was just play your game, follow your instincts, play the way you play cricket, the same cricket that got you here." Sooryavanshi scored 14 runs off 10 balls in his first innings, including two sixes, after being overlooked for the Ireland series and the first England T20I.
India's middle-over struggles
Kotak addressed India's difficulty in maintaining a hyper-aggressive tempo during the middle overs, noting that wind conditions played a significant role in the previous match. He said that not every pitch can produce high scores of 225-250 runs. "They (England) also bowled well in between. I think 190 was maybe a little above par or at least a par score. So, I think in both matches, 190 is not... in every condition you can't say it can be 225-250. So 190 to 200 is... but this ground (at Nottingham), yes, there are angles, it's a bit small, so the planning will obviously be according to that," he added.
Transition phase and criticism
Kotak dismissed growing criticism after India lost two consecutive T20Is, pointing to the team's transition under new captain Shreyas Iyer and the absence of key players like Hardik Pandya. "Our effort is to improve in all three departments: batting, bowling, and fielding. Since we won the last World Cup, the plan has been: how can we reach the next level in the next two years when the next World Cup comes," he said. He added: "Until now, in the last two years, we had not lost a single series, we won the World Cup, won the Asia Cup in T20s, so everyone says it's very good. After losing two matches, so many people say 'oh, they are losing matches'. This is a game. There is a transition happening; the captain changed, Hardik is not there, and you are trying to introduce three or four young players in preparation for two years from now."
Pace-bowling all-rounder reserves
With injuries to Hardik Pandya and his backup Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kotak acknowledged the presence of young Suryansh Shedge, who scored 157 runs in seven innings with a strike rate of over 175 for Punjab Kings in IPL this season, and also impressed for India A in the Sri Lanka tri-series with 148 runs and two wickets. "See, in T20, a pace-bowling all-rounder plays a very important role because if you count him as the sixth bowler, you might need him at any point. In this team as well, there is Suryansh, who did well in the IPL and was picked for the team," Kotak said. He stressed the long-term planning: "We have two years now. In between, there's a lot of domestic cricket and the IPL. Obviously, regarding Hardik's performance, quality, and experience--Nitish is gaining experience to match that. And this boy, Suryansh, has just joined the team. But if you look at the process, India, BCCI, selectors, and team management always try to prepare as best as possible for the upcoming event, even if it's two years away."
