Team India are in no hurry to transform the young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into an all-rounder, stand-in bowling coach Sunil Joshi has revealed. Vaibhav registered his maiden senior international half-century in the first T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare on Thursday.
He made his senior India debut in the recent T20I series against England, aggregating just 42 runs from three matches. On Thursday, the 15-year-old slammed an 18-ball fifty in the first T20I against Zimbabwe, slamming four fours and as many sixes during his knock.
Under Gautam Gambhir, Team India have heavily favoured multi-dimensional players who can provide batting depth and useful bowling options too.
Abhishek Sharma is one of them who has often stepped up with the ball. Vaibhav, on the other hand, has bowled at the Under-19 level.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earned his maiden India call-up for the two-match T20I series against Ireland in June, following a productive IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals (RR), wherein he won the Orange Cap with 776 runs from 16 matches.
However, he didn’t make his debut against Ireland, and had to wait till the second T20I against England in July for his opportunity.
Sunil Joshi wants Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to focus on his batting
"Let's focus on his batting. He's been sensational. This is a happy hunting ground for him. He performed well in the U19 World Cup finals.
"Vaibhav has been very comfortable with his batting. Whenever we get time we'll work with him in the BCCI Centre of Excellence," Sunil Joshi said during a press conference in Harare.
When asked if India were keen to employ Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as part-time bowlers, Sunil noted that Abhishek has performed well with the ball.
"I think all three are good bowlers, all-rounders. Abhishek has improved a lot. The coaches always want him to improve every time. Harsh Dubey has also performed well," he added.
The former India spinner also explained what Tilak Varma brings to the table. "We also have Tilak Verma. In fact, he's also another optional bowler. We have conversations with him about not giving too many runs, giving more dot balls, and focusing on the basics," the 56-year-old elaborated.
India defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the first T20I in Harare on Thursday. The Men in Blue won the toss and opted to field first. That proved to be the right decision as Prince Yadav and Mayank Yadav collected two wickets each to restrict the hosts to 125/7.
Apart from the duo, Shivam Dube and Ravi Bishnoi collected a wicket each. In their reply, India lost Abhishek Sharma early but the visitors managed to recover, as Vaibhav (50) Ihan Kishan (35) and Shreyas Iyer (28*) sealed India's victory in 13.2 overs.
The Men in Blue will look to seal the series when the two teams lock horns in the second T20I in Harare on Saturday.
