Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi be handed a senior India debut after the IPL 2026 season? The idea has been generating plenty of buzz, with former West Indies fast bowler and well-known commentator Ian Bishop among those who believe the young opener is ready for the jump to international cricket. Bishop, who has been linked with naming an alternate India T20I group, has backed Sooryavanshi to start the innings alongside Shubman Gill, arguing that the left-right combination would add balance to the batting plan.
In his selection, Bishop placed particular emphasis on giving the side a clear mix of handedness at the top. “Of my openers, I’m picking three in the squad. I want a left-right match-up as well as I can. The left-hander is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. I think he’s ready to take another step,” Bishop said during his discussion on ESPNcricinfo. Notably, Sooryavanshi was chosen over Yashasvi Jaiswal, his Rajasthan Royals (RR) teammate, in Bishop’s preferred set of opening options.
Reports suggest Sooryavanshi is also in the wider selection picture for India’s tour of Ireland in June, which would place him on the radar for a potential opportunity beyond domestic and franchise cricket. In Bishop’s alternate T20I arrangement, Shubman Gill and Sooryavanshi are paired as the opening duo, with Prabhsimran Singh listed as the back-up option behind them.
Moving down the order, Bishop’s middle-batting choices leaned toward established IPL performers and recent impact names. He included Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer, while also bringing in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) duo of Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal. The wicket-keeping role went to Dhruv Jurel, with Bishop selecting him ahead of out-of-form batter Jitesh Sharma.
For the all-round balance, Bishop opted for Krunal Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy, pairing them to provide both batting depth and bowling flexibility. Up front of the spin department, he made an eye-catching call by giving a recall to 35-year-old leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, naming him as the lead spinner ahead of Ravi Bishnoi. Chahal’s most recent international appearance has been nearly three years ago, making the selection a notable statement of intent.
With pace bowling completing the XI-style mix, Bishop selected four fast options for his alternate India T20I squad: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav and Prasidh Krishna. The full squad, as Bishop outlined it, features Shubman Gill, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Devdutt Padikkal, Shreyas Iyer, Rajat Patidar, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Reddy, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohsin Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prabhsimran Singh, Prince Yadav and Prasidh Krishna.
