BCCI Monitoring Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Six-Hitting Approach

By Shivam Kumar | Senior Sports Reporter

The BCCI is monitoring the batting approach of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma during India's ongoing T20I series in England, with board sources indicating that their aggressive six-hitting "needs to be controlled". The development comes as India trail 3-0 in the five-match series under new captain Shreyas Iyer, following an earlier 2-0 T20I defeat in Ireland.

According to a source quoted by ANI, the board remains impressed by the power-hitting abilities of both openers but believes greater shot selection and game awareness will be required at international level. The comments arrive at a difficult time for India's new-look T20 side, which is yet to register a victory under Iyer despite entering the tour with considerable expectations.

India's transition into a new T20I era has produced mixed results. With Suryakumar Yadav no longer leading the side, Shreyas Iyer has inherited a youthful squad featuring several IPL standouts, including 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

While Sooryavanshi's fearless strokeplay earned him rapid promotion through the domestic system, his first international series has been challenging. He has scored 14, 13 and 15 in his first three T20I innings against England after becoming India's youngest international cricketer at 15 years and 99 days, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record from 1989.

Abhishek Sharma has shown greater consistency, registering scores of 59, 43, 10 and 16 during the England series after making 49 and 0 against Ireland. However, India's top order has struggled to convert brisk starts into match-winning performances as England established a 3-0 lead.

The discussion is shaped by the contrast between Sooryavanshi's domestic success and his international start.

The Rajasthan Royals opener dominated IPL 2026, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30, including one century and five half-centuries. His campaign featured a tournament-record 72 sixes, earning him the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes awards.

Across his IPL career, he has accumulated 1,028 runs in 23 matches, averaging 44.69 with a strike rate of 228.95, alongside two centuries and six fifties.

Before joining the senior national team, Sooryavanshi also impressed in the tri-series involving Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, scoring 211 runs in five innings at an average of 42.20 and a strike rate approaching 201, while also recording the fastest known List A fifty in 11 balls against Sri Lanka A.

Those numbers explain why selectors fast-tracked his international debut. At the same time, the early T20I returns suggest the adjustment to international bowling remains a work in progress.

India's immediate priority is avoiding a series whitewash when the teams meet in the fifth and final T20I at Southampton on 11 July before attention shifts to the three-match ODI series beginning in Birmingham on 14 July.

The BCCI has made no public announcement regarding any selection changes or technical intervention. The latest remarks indicate that officials continue to back the attacking philosophy of both openers while expecting greater control over shot selection as they gain international experience.