IND vs ENG 2026: Cheteshwar Pujara Backs India’s Winning Top Order, Expects Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to Wait for T20I Debut
Cheteshwar Pujara expects India to retain their World Cup-winning top order, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi likely to debut later in the England T20I series.
India’s exciting teenage talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is likely to wait a little longer for his T20I debut, according to veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara. Despite the growing excitement around the 15-year-old, Pujara believes India will stick with the top-order combination that helped the team win the 2026 T20 World Cup.
India begin their five-match T20I series against England at Riverside Ground, with Sooryavanshi’s selection one of the biggest talking points. The youngster earned widespread attention after a brilliant IPL 2026 campaign for Rajasthan Royals and a stunning 94-run knock for India A against Sri Lanka A.
However, Pujara expects India to continue with their established top three of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan in the series opener. He feels maintaining continuity with the World Cup-winning combination is more important than making immediate changes.
“I don’t see any changes in India’s top three of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan. Both Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan will be part of the opening XI for sure,” Pujara said.
While Sooryavanshi may miss the opening match, Pujara is confident the teenager will get his opportunity later in the series. With five matches scheduled, India are expected to rotate players and manage the workload of key members of the squad.
“When India rotate their players, Vaibhav Suryavanshi will certainly feature in at least one match,” Pujara added.
The selection reflects India’s effort to balance long-term planning with rewarding young talent. Sooryavanshi remains one of the country’s brightest prospects, but the team management appears keen to preserve the successful top-order formula that recently delivered a world title.
If India follow Pujara’s prediction, fans may have to wait a little longer to see the teenage sensation in international colours. But with rotation expected during the series, Sooryavanshi’s long-awaited T20I debut could still come before the five-match contest concludes.
