5th T20I: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi benched. Gambhir says his job is not to make everyone happy

India once again left out Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from their playing eleven for the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand despite the series being dead and the hosts already holding an unassailable 3-1 lead. The 14-year-old batsman, who featured in just two matches during the series, was once again overlooked as India opted to stick with their established batting combinations.

India made two changes to their playing eleven for the T20I final, both in the bowling department, but did not give Sooryavanshi another chance. Speaking before the match, head coach Gautam Gambhir defended his selection calls and said it was his responsibility to make the right decisions, not the popular ones.

“First of all, my job is not to make everyone happy. My job is to take the right decisions, not popular decisions. And that’s what I’m for,” Gambhir said ahead of the match.

The India head coach also pointed to the influence of social media and the noise around the selection decision and emphasized that the team’s priorities must come before outside opinion.

“It’s very easy to take a popular decision. But for me it’s important to make the right decision and make sure there’s a lot of security inside the dressing room,” he added.

Gambhir acknowledged the abundance of talent in the Indian squad but said players who have performed consistently over a longer period of time deserve a longer run in the team.

“Because, as you just mentioned, there’s a lot of talent. But then again, I think the guys have done phenomenally well over a long period of time. Obviously, they deserve a longer rope. And that’s exactly how we approach the series,” he said.

INDIA PLAYING XI O 5TH T20I

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (Goalkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy.

SOORYAVANSHI’S 2 CHANCES THIS SERIES

Sooryavanshi entered the series as a potential option at the top of the order but only got his opportunities after Ishan Kishan was sidelined with a groin injury. The teenager played two games, with his first outing ending in a single-digit score.

He responded with an explosive 45 in the third T20I, sharing the crease with Abhishek Sharma during India’s world-record powerplay partnership. However, when Kishan returned to the playing eleven, Sooryavanshi was left out of the following matches.

India kept a full batting line-up for the series finale with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opening, followed by Kishan, captain Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir completed the batting options while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy formed the bowling attack.

With the series already decided, Sooryavanshi’s omission has once again raised questions about how India intends to manage opportunities for up-and-comers in a side full of established international performers. However, Gambhir made it clear that the selection will continue to be guided by what he believes to be the best interests of the team, rather than the expectations of individual players.

– The end