IND vs WI, 1st T20I: Abhishek Sharma Opens Up on Batting with 15-Year-Old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (WATCH)

Ahead of the first T20I against the West Indies, Team India opener Abhishek Sharma opened up about his bond with 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Sharma praised the youngster's maturity and shared how the team acts as elder brothers to help him settle into international cricket.

Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Image Credit: ANI

Team India opener Abhishek Sharma has opened up on his batting and bonding with young prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the first T20I of the five-match series against West Indies at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, October 6.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already been considered one of the next big things in international cricket following his record-breaking 776-run campaign in the IPL 2026 and has earned his maiden national call-up for India’s T20I series against Ireland and England. Making his debut in the England T20Is, the 15-year-old became the youngest Indian to play international cricket,

Vaibhav had a breakthrough T20I series against Zimbabwe, where he had a 151-run campaign and was adjudged Player of the Series. The young batting sensation was part of the Indian team that successfully defended the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, defeating Pakistan in the final.

Abhishek’s Batting with Vaibhav

As Team India's focus shifted towards the T20I series against the West Indies after the ODI series and the Asian Games 2026, Abhishek Sharma has opened up on what it is like to bat alongside 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and how the team is helping the youngster settle into international cricket.

Speaking on JioStar, the explosive opener praised the young prodigy’s maturity, pointing out that his experience in the cricket setup has helped him understand what to practice and how much work is required. He also highlighted the team's efforts to make the teenager comfortable in the dressing room.

“I think he is a very smart guy. He is not like how we used to behave when we were 15 years old. He is a smart guy because he has been in the cricket setup for 2-3 years. So he knows what to practice and how much to practice,” Abhishek said.

“So I feel he will learn more things with experience. And we talk to each other in the team about how we can make him more comfortable. Because we all know what he has done and he belongs here,” he added.

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Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have opened the innings for Team India in 8 T20I matches, sharing 189 runs in partnership at an average of 23.62. The pair opened the innings in the semifinal and final of the recently concluded Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.

Abhishek on Making Vaibhav Feel at Home in Indian Team

Further speaking on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s transition into the Indian team, Abhishek Sharma said he feels it is his responsibility to make the 15-year-old feel comfortable and treat him like a younger brother.

He also revealed that the Indian batting prodigy has begun to pick up Punjabi words from his teammates while occasionally speaking in Bihari during conversations.

“I feel it's my duty as well to make him feel that we are all his elder brothers. You just have to enjoy and just give your best and win the games whenever you get the chance,” Abhishek said.

“Yes, he speaks a lot of Punjabi words. He also speaks a lot of Bihari in between. So he has learnt a lot of Punjabi words,” he added.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is expected to make it to the playing XI for the first T20I of the five-match series against the West Indies in Lucknow. In his T20I career, Vaibhav has aggregated 246 runs, including 2 fifties, at an average of 30.75 and an impressive strike rate of 186.36 in 8 matches.