Jaffer's comments came after India recalled Sanju Samson for the fifth and final T20I against England, bringing back the wicketkeeper-batter after the 15-year-old opener managed scores of 14, 13 and 15 in his three appearances. Samson had featured in the series opener but was dropped from the second match onwards to make way for Sooryavanshi before returning for the finale.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer said the youngster should have been allowed more time before making his international debut.
"I think we rushed Vaibhav's inclusion. There was a lot of media hype around him, and the public was very emotional about seeing him play. Otherwise, I had already said that India should have continued with Sanju Samson."
Jaffer felt that simply being part of the Indian dressing room would have helped Sooryavanshi develop without the immediate pressure of international cricket.
"Vaibhav had to wait for his opportunity, and when that opportunity came, he could have taken it. He's still very young, and he can learn a lot just by being around the team and watching cricket from the outside."
'We got carried away by the hype'
The former opener also questioned India's frequent changes at the top of the batting order, suggesting the management reacted to growing public demand for the teenager's inclusion.
"It felt like we got carried away by the media hype. Every time Vaibhav didn't play, there was a lot of discussion about it."
He added that if the team had genuinely lost faith in Samson's form, the decision would have been understandable, but the constant chopping and changing left him unconvinced.
"I just thought he should have been made to wait. If you were absolutely convinced that Sanju wasn't in good form or wasn't playing well, then you could have taken that decision. But eventually, it felt like you rushed Vaibhav into the team."
Jaffer questions Sanju Samson's omission
Jaffer also expressed surprise over Samson being left out of India's squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, while Sooryavanshi retained his place.
He believes Samson deserves a consistent run, especially considering he represents India only in the T20I format.
"After giving Vaibhav three matches, you brought Sanju back. Sanju himself played only one match, and now he's been left out of the Zimbabwe tour. Dropping him from the Zimbabwe tour also seemed a bit strange to me because I'm sure he would have wanted to play."
Jaffer further backed Samson to remain in India's long-term plans.
"As it is, he only plays one format for India. He should be given regular opportunities. I'm sure Sanju Samson will be part of the plans for the next World Cup because he's a match-winner. The way things unfolded really surprised me."
Yuvraj Singh backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's future
While Jaffer called for patience, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh expressed complete faith in Sooryavanshi's long-term potential.
Speaking to JioHotstar, Yuvraj used a playful comparison to the Terminator film franchise to describe the evolution of India's fearless batters.
"I always call myself a Terminator. Now there is Terminator 4, Abhishek Sharma, who is four times better than me. And after him comes Terminator 6, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has evolved even more."
The World Cup-winning all-rounder added that he would love to mentor the teenager in the future and believes Sooryavanshi has all the qualities needed for a long and successful international career despite his early setbacks.
