Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the Orange Cap holder in the 2026 Indian Premier League. The young player has scored 579 runs in 13 games, averaging 44.54 and striking at 236. There were hopes that the player will make it to Team India. The squad for the three ODIs against Afghanistan was released on May 19, and there were expectations that the young talent will get a chance, but the selectors overlooked him.

The player has hit 53 sixes in the ongoing season and even managed to score sixes against bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Despite all this, the player did not make it to the Indian ODI team. There are five reasons why the player was overlooked.

First, let's explain what Ajit Agarkar said. Team India's chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, stated that Yashasvi Jaiswal is in the ODI team's plans before Vaibhav Suryavanshi. If anyone gets a chance, Jaiswal will get it first. This is why Vaibhav Suryavanshi didn't find a place in the team. However, there are four other reasons why Suryavanshi was overlooked.

Virender Sehwag has previously questioned his fitness. He stated that if Suryavanshi doesn't work on his fitness, it could be difficult for him to find a place in Team India. Additionally, cricket experts cite the example of Prithvi Shaw, who lost form and rhythm due to fitness issues and is now struggling to find a place in the IPL playing XI.

A few days ago, Mohammad Kaif also made a significant statement. He revealed that Vaibhav Suryavanshi hasn't taken a single catch this season, which is quite disappointing for any fielding team. If his on-field performance remains the same, Team India's path could be difficult, and this is likely why he wasn't included in the Indian team selected for Afghanistan.

The fourth reason is that there is currently no opener's spot in the ODI team. Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma are already contenders for the opening spot in the 15-member squad selected for Afghanistan. Furthermore, the team also includes Ishan Kishan, who also opens the innings. Consequently, there is no opener's spot.

Finally, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been a force to be reckoned with in the shortest format of cricket, decimating bowlers. Perhaps this is the reason why the selectors want to give him a chance in the T20 format first.