While trying to save Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Team India got divided, exposed its biggest weakness.

New Delhi. India’s team management kept 15-year-old rising star Vaibhav Suryavanshi on the bench during the Ireland T20 series. Initially people considered it a wise decision but the shameful defeat in both the T20 matches raised many questions. This showed that in international cricket, this kind of ‘protective parenting’ sometimes leaves the rest of the team more vulnerable and exposed. By not giving Vaibhav a chance to debut, the team only postponed the start of his career. Besides, the flaws in the planning of the top order were also exposed.

When Vaibhav Suryavanshi reached Ireland, the entire cricket world was looking at him. In IPL 2026, he batted brilliantly and scored 776 runs. Won the Orange Cap and broke Chris Gayle’s record of most sixes in a season. After such figures, it was almost impossible for the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar to keep him out of the T20 team. When the playing eleven was announced for both the T20 matches, Vaibhav’s name was nowhere.

The team management’s thinking was clear to protect this young batsman. Ireland’s green, moist pitches offered swing, extra bounce and seam movement. These were completely different from the flat pitches of IPL which were helpful for batsmen. The decision makers must have felt that fielding a 15-year-old player in such unknown and difficult conditions could harm his confidence. In an attempt to save the youngest player, India exposed the weaknesses of its own top order.

Hero on flat pitch, failed on swing and bounce

The team continued to rely on Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan as the top three. It was hoped that his recent form in the subcontinent would work here too, but the opposite happened. These three once again proved that they look almost invincible on flat, bouncy or spin-friendly Indian pitches. As soon as the ball starts moving in the air or on the pitch, his technique starts to deteriorate.

The ultra-aggressive, “slam-bang” style of the IPL doesn’t work everywhere. On foreign pitches, where the ball moves laterally, attacking alone does not work. When the ball started swinging and seaming in Ireland, India’s top order did not have that defensive game at all. Many Indian batsmen today, especially in white-ball cricket, play with the “attack is the best defence” philosophy. This strategy backfired in Ireland. Only powerful shots do not work on pitches that support fast bowlers. Control, excellent technique and the courage to endure difficult spells are also required.

Bad condition due to attack

Indian batsmen put offensive intent above traditional defensive techniques. The result was that as soon as the conditions went in favor of the bowlers, the entire batting unit looked directionless. The habit of scoring fast runs in the powerplay on home grounds. In an attempt to adopt the same tempo here too, the batsmen kept playing shots outside the off stump on swinging balls. Instead of trying to settle down by bowling difficult overs. If India’s key top-order batsmen are not able to face the moving ball in a place like Ireland. This is a bigger question for the team management than the workload management of a 15 year old player.