India won the toss and elected to bat first against England in the second T20I in Manchester, with 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi making his international debut against Jofra Archer.
India vs England, 2nd T20I: India opt to bat vs England (PC: BCCI/X)
India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bat first against England in the second T20I of the five-match series at Old Trafford, with 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi handed his much-awaited international debut.
The left-handed batting prodigy replaces Sanju Samson in India’s only change, setting up a fascinating contest against England’s pace spearhead Jofra Archer. Dubbed the “Universal Baby Boss” by fans, all eyes will be on Sooryavanshi as he takes his first steps in international cricket.
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A historic day for Indian cricket 💙
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi makes his #TeamIndia debut at 1️⃣5️⃣ years, 3️⃣ months, and 8️⃣ days 👏#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/qr2CnbrwYQ
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 4, 2026
Explaining the decision, Iyer said the youngster had earned his opportunity through consistent performances against top-quality bowling.
“We are going to bat first. There is one change to the side with Vaibhav coming in for Sanju. Vaibhav is absolutely ready and over the last few months he has shown his quality against world-class bowlers. There was never any extra pressure in selecting him because he deserves his place in the squad. What stands out is his calm nature and the fact that he does not get overwhelmed by situations. The way he bats in the nets and takes on bowlers reflects the confidence and talent he possesses,” Iyer said.
The India skipper also praised the depth in Indian cricket, adding that competition for places continues to push players to improve.
England captain Harry Brook admitted he would also have chosen to bat first but backed his bowling attack to exploit the conditions. The hosts made two changes, bringing back Archer while rewarding Josh Tongue with a place in the XI after his recent performances.
“We would have batted first as well. We are excited to be up against a strong Indian side. Jofra returning and Tongue earning his opportunity gives us pace and plenty of variation. We have also done our homework on Vaibhav and made a few tactical plans, but now it is about executing them on the field,” Brook said.
The series moves to Manchester after the opening T20I at Chester-le-Street was heavily affected by rain, with only one innings possible. India’s top order, led by Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, and Shivam Dube, showed encouraging signs despite the interrupted contest, and the visitors will now look to take an early lead in the five-match series.
India: Shreyas Iyer (C), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.
England: Harry Brook (C), Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.
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