'Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was ready to debut from the time he joined Indian team' - Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak ahead of 3rd T20I vs England

India's batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, asserted that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was ready to make his debut from the time he joined the national team ahead of the T20I series against Ireland. He wasn't being prepared by the Gautam Gambhir-led support staff in any special way for the rigours of international cricket before his debut in the second T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester, last week.

Sooryavanshi didn't play the two T20Is against Ireland and the first one against England. However, in the second T20I, India dropped Sanju Samson after three failures and handed Sooryavanshi his international debut.

“He was set to debut from the point he came into the team; there is no such thing that he was ready (for his debut only) in the last match,” Kotak told reporters on the eve of the third T20I against England.

“For us, it was all about his game, his instincts and the way he plays, and the way he has played all along to get till this point, he should continue playing that." “I do not think there were any precise instructions (that he's been given) to do this, or do that,” Kotak added.

Kotak said that the Indian team is looking to improve in all three departments of the game - batting, bowling, and fielding heading into the 2028 T20 World Cup. He urged the stakeholders of Indian cricket to give the team some time, as there is a transition in place, with new players being given opportunities.

“See, our attempt is to improve in all three (departments); batting, bowling, and fielding. (From) the last World Cup which we won, the plan is that if the next World Cup comes in next two years, then how can we reach the next level from this? Because all other teams will also try to get better. In the last two years, we haven't lost a single series. We won the (T20) World Cup, we won the Asia Cup T20. (But) after losing two (three) matches, so many people have said ‘they are losing now',” Kotak said.

“It is (the nature of the) game. Sometimes, when there is a transition -- the captain has changed, Hardik is not there, (and) you are trying to introduce 3-4 young players -- even then, it should not happen, but such things can happen. The Indian team's efforts remain the same. Everyone has their limitations, but we always try that (to improve) in batting, bowling, and fielding. If we are looking at winning the next World Cup, we will have to get better. We have to do better than what we have done in the last World Cup,” Kotak said.

India lost the two-match T20I series 0-2. They also lost the second T20I against England after the first one was washed out. The third T20I is scheduled to be played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Tuesday, July 7.