Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has voiced his strong opinion on the way young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was introduced to international cricket, suggesting that the team management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer, could have handled the prodigy's transition far more smoothly.

The 15-year-old Vaibhav took the cricketing world by storm with a phenomenal IPL 2026 campaign, where he not only announced his arrival on the biggest stage but also walked away with the prestigious Orange Cap for being the tournament's highest run-scorer. His breathtaking strokeplay and composure under pressure earned him a well-deserved call-up to the national squad for the series against Ireland and England. However, what followed next left many fans and experts scratching their heads.

Despite the massive hype surrounding his selection, the management chose to bench Vaibhav during the Ireland series, instead opting for Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order. Samson was given three opportunities but failed to make an impact, leading to his eventual drop. Only then did Vaibhav get his maiden international cap, but by that time, the series had moved to England, a completely different and far more challenging cricketing environment.

Making his debut in overseas conditions against a potent English attack, Vaibhav struggled to find his footing. He failed in his first three outings and was subsequently dropped for the fifth and final match of the series. To make matters more intimidating, he found himself facing his Rajasthan Royals teammate Jofra Archer in the nets and on the field, a bowler who knew his weaknesses inside out, having dismissed him repeatedly in training sessions.

Kaif, known for his sharp cricketing insights, believes that the youngster's struggles in England were largely a result of nervousness and lack of confidence, which could have been easily avoided if the management had shown more foresight. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif explained, "Vaibhav is an X-factor player. He made a reputation for himself. His bat did the talking in the IPL despite him being in the spotlight. He didn't just perform in one or two matches. He won the Orange Cap. He should have played in Ireland; the nervousness would have gone in that case. He would have reached England and performed well."

Kaif didn't hold back in his criticism of the management's approach, adding, "He was having a rich vein of form behind him; he had won the Orange Cap. But you told him you serve water first. He's a special player; you could have played him directly in Ireland. He should have gotten special treatment. If he played in Ireland, he would not have had any nervousness in the UK."

The former India star further emphasized that Vaibhav's journey was made unnecessarily tough. Citing the youngster's brilliant performance in the subsequent Zimbabwe tour, where Vaibhav was adjudged Player of the Series for scoring 151 runs in three T20Is with a highest score of 81, Kaif asserted that special talents deserve special handling. "He didn't perform well in England; you dropped him. Sooryavanshi was playing against Archer. He hasn't played in India yet, but I am sure he will score a lot of runs when he plays here. Sooryavanshi's India journey was tough; it could have been made easier. It was made tough for him. He's a special talent; you shouldn't have dropped him. You should have played him in Ireland. Now see, against Zimbabwe, he won the Player of the Series award," Kaif concluded.

As Vaibhav continues to grow and mature as a cricketer, Kaif's words serve as a timely reminder that nurturing young talent requires patience, planning, and a willingness to give them the right platform to succeed. The boy from India has already proven his mettle in the IPL and against Zimbabwe; now it remains to be seen how the management handles his journey going forward.