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India’s shocking T20 series defeat at the hands of Ireland has sparked intense debate over Gautam Gambhir’s team selection. After the Men in Blue struggled badly and lost both the matches, everyone is questioning why teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi was not given a single chance.
Now Bollywood actor Ritesh Deshmukh has also joined this debate going on on social media. Soon after India’s 0-2 series loss against Ireland, the actor questioned Suryavanshi’s sidelining him for both games in Belfast. But despite the struggle, the Indian coach supported Sanju Samson in place of Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
Sanju Samson-Abhishek Sharma pair could not perform well in Ireland
India went with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as openers in both T20 matches against Ireland. In the second match, both Samson and Abhishek were out for zero. Although Abhishek scored a half-century in the opening match of the series, Samson was out cheaply.
Apart from him, the rest of the batting unit also did not perform well; As a result, India could not avoid an embarrassing T20I series defeat. Ireland played fearless cricket in both the matches and completed a historic clean sweep over the T20 World Cup champions.
After the 0-2 series loss to Ireland, Iceland Cricket made fun of Gautam Gambhir after the Ireland T20I defeat.
After the defeat in Ireland series, Riteish Deshmukh demanded Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s debut in India.
After the series loss, many fans questioned why Vaibhav Suryavanshi, one of India’s most exciting young batsmen, was made to sit in the dugout despite being in great form. Ritesh Deshmukh also raised questions on the decision of the Indian team management by posting on social media.
The Bollywood actor urged the team management to stop making Vaibhav wait and give him a chance to make his T20 debut. He posted,
Get Vaibhav Suryavanshi to play already!!!!
What are we waiting for ?????– Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) June 28, 2026
The 15-year-old has done almost everything a young batsman can do to knock the doors of the selectors. Vaibhav Suryavanshi played fearless cricket during IPL 2026 and finished the season with the Orange Cap. He scored 776 runs in 16 innings at an excellent strike rate of 237.31.
Even during the final of the one-day tri-series against Sri Lanka A, the left-handed batsman once again showed why everyone is talking about him by scoring 94 runs in just 29 balls to help India. They won the final against Sri Lanka A. Nevertheless, India decided not to include him in the playing eleven against Ireland.
Ryan Ten Doeschate explains why Gautam Gambhir can’t replace Sanju Samson for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
After the second and final T20 match against Ireland, India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate explained the reason behind that decision. He said that the coaching staff has full confidence in Vaibhav’s talent and believes that he is ready for international cricket, but they cannot exclude Sanju Samson.
Ryan ten Doeschate said, “He is absolutely ready to play international cricket; there is no doubt about that. But at the same time, I think there is no question of saying that you can rule out Sanju Samson. A guy who went a long way in helping India win the World Cup three months ago. A guy who has had a very good IPL.”
He further added, “It is important in terms of giving confidence to the players and the message we are sending to the players. We want to give people a long run in the team. So, as ready as Vaibhav is and we and you are excited to see him play, he has to go through the same process as everyone else and take his time and wait. But of course, there is no question about how good he is and how ready he is.”