Durham: India T20 captain Shreyas Iyer has dismissed growing calls to field teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suriyavanshi on the international stage, insisting he is not paying attention to speculation ahead of the opening T20 against England.
Despite enjoying a remarkable Indian Premier League 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, the debate surrounding the 15-year-old has intensified after he was overlooked in both matches of India’s 2-0 T20I series defeat against Ireland in Belfast last week.
Suriyavanshi won the Orange Cap after amassing 776 runs in 16 innings at an impressive strike rate of 237.30, prompting many former cricketers to publicly support his inclusion in India’s playing eleven.
However, despite retaining his place in the squad, the teenager’s participation in Wednesday’s series opener at the Riverside Stadium in Chester-le-Street remains uncertain.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the tournament, Iyer rejected suggestions that the growing public debate had influenced his thinking.
“I didn’t watch anything, I really didn’t, I didn’t follow any news outlets or any kind of social media, I didn’t listen to anything,” Iyer said.
Despite struggling for runs in Belfast throughout the Ireland series, India retained their T20 World Cup-winning top order of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan throughout the Ireland series.
Iyer reiterated that team selection will continue to be based on performance rather than external pressure.
“Every individual on the team has done well. It’s not just one individual,” he said.
India’s five-match T20I series against England begins at the Riverside Stadium in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, will travel to Old Trafford, Trent Bridge and Bristol, with the final scheduled for July 11 at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. If selected during the series, Suryavanshi will become India’s youngest international cricketer.