Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is discouraged: Srikkanth rips Gautam Gambhir to India

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has slammed the Gautam Gambhir-led team management for their handling of teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and questioned why the youngster was not given an opportunity in the T20I final against New Zealand in Hamilton.

India chose to retain the batting combination for the final match, despite the result having no bearing on the outcome of the series. While the team made changes to their bowling combination, Sooryavanshi was again left on the bench as he had played two matches earlier in the series when Ishan Kishan was unavailable due to injury.

The decision did not sit well with Srikkanth, who felt that India had wasted an opportunity to give the 15-year-old valuable international experience. The former opener also claimed that the uncertainty over Sooryavanshi’s role could affect the youngster’s confidence.

“Give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a good run. Make the opening three matches clear. Tell them you will play 3 matches and get the remaining two. Instead you have fielded Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Srikkanth said on YouTube. Vaibhav and Abhishek break powerplay record in 3rd T20I. (AP photo)

DID INDIA MISMANAGE VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI?

India brought Sooryavanshi into the T20I setup after two sensational IPL seasons. After taking the tournament by storm last year, he followed it up with another excellent campaign earlier this year, finishing as the competition’s top scorer.

At just 15, Sooryavanshi has amassed 776 runs against some of the best bowling attacks in the world, making it increasingly difficult for selectors to ignore his performances.

However, opportunities at the international level were more difficult to come by. India took the youngster on the UK tour but did not give him a game in the two-match T20I series against Ireland. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened the batting in both matches as India endured a disappointing campaign.

Srikkanth felt that these matches represented an ideal opportunity to introduce Sooryavanshi to international cricket.

“Where should Vaibhav have played? Ideally, the two matches against Ireland. You made a mess of it. And against a weak bowling unit like the West Indies, you didn’t play Vaibhav at all,” Srikkanth said.

The young opener subsequently featured in India’s victorious campaign at the 2026 Asian Games, where the team defeated Pakistan in a tight final.

However, when India faced the West Indies, the team once again reverted to the opening combination of Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Both the batsmen celebrated success on the flat Indian pitches, so Sooryavanshi did not have the opportunity to make his mark among the seniors.

Srikkanth acknowledged Samson’s performances but questioned whether India had missed an opportunity to test their young batting prospects against a less demanding bowling attack.

“Yes, Sanju Samson was outstanding. He was outstanding in the T20 World Cup. No doubt. But, West Indies bowling visiting India, I would have scored against them at this age. It’s a series to improve the stats,” he said.

SRIKKANTH WARNS INDIA

For Srikkanth, this is more than Sooryavanshi missing one particular match. He believes the youngster is left in a precarious position, with the team management yet to provide clarity on whether he is being considered as a regular opener or only as a back-up.

The former Indian captain argued that repeatedly carrying the teenager in the unit without running him out all the time could prove counterproductive. Rather than building confidence through opportunities, the current approach risks challenging his place in the team.

“Give him a chance and groom him. Instead of encouraging him, you are discouraging the boy. I want to ask why he didn’t play the West Indies series. The boy has to play, instead you are discouraging the boy completely. The opposition has no idea if Abhishek and Vaibhav will open. You saw it in New Zealand,” Srikkanth said.

He also went a step further and suggested that Sooryavanshi’s performances across formats and competitions merited consideration for India’s ODI set-up.

“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is scoring at every level. I want him to be in the ODI team. I believe he should be in the ODI team. He is a boy who is highly talented. He has scored the best in the IPL. He has scored everywhere,” he added.

Srikkanth’s criticism ultimately centers on India’s need to give their young opener a clearer path to international cricket. Sooryavanshi has already shown that he can compete with veteran bowlers and produce runs at the highest level of domestic franchise cricket. The challenge now is to translate that promise into the international game.

India may not necessarily give the 15-year-old a permanent place in the playing XI, but Srikkanth believes he needs to have a clearer idea of ​​what they expect from him. If the team management sees Sooryavanshi as a long-term opening option, giving him a defined number of matches could be more valuable than repeatedly bringing him into the squad without a clear role.

For the teenager, who has made a habit of scoring runs wherever he has played, the next step is to see what he can do with a permanent opportunity in India colours.

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