Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has voiced strong criticism regarding the handling of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the recent T20I tours of Ireland and England. Srikkanth specifically targeted captain Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir, questioning the team management’s approach to young players.
Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old, did not participate in any matches during the Ireland series. He was subsequently included in the playing XI for the series against England after Sanju Samson experienced a period of low scores. However, after featuring in three matches, Sooryavanshi was again excluded from the fifth and final T20I of the series, which India ultimately lost 0-4.
Concerns over player management
Srikkanth expressed particular dissatisfaction with Iyer’s explanation for the team change, which was provided at the toss before the final T20I. Iyer had stated, “I feel this is the time we need to try what’s the best going forward for us as a team. So based on that, we decided this.” This remark did not sit well with the former India captain.
On his YouTube channel, Srikkanth commented, “I was so upset with the interview after the toss.” He further questioned the team’s strategy for nurturing young talent, advocating for consistent standards across all players within the team setup. “This is not the way to talk. How you are treating your players, how you are forming a young team is important,” Srikkanth added.
He argued that if players are to be dropped based on performance, the same criteria should apply to everyone, including Gambhir and the captain himself. Srikkanth directly challenged Iyer’s performance by asking, “You are saying the players are not performing, what has been your performance?”
Sooryavanshi was brought into the squad after Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament at this year’s T20 World Cup, failed to score significantly in three consecutive innings. The young player recorded scores of 14 in Manchester, 13 in Nottingham, and 15 in Bristol before being left out of the final match.
Srikkanth questioned the rationale behind Sooryavanshi’s removal from the team. “What wrong did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi do? Is this how you groom young players?” he asked, highlighting his concern over the impact on the teenager’s confidence.
Lessons from past experiences
The former India opener drew a parallel to his own captaincy experience, recalling when he gave a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar his international debut during the 1989 tour of Pakistan. Srikkanth emphasised the importance of backing young players to build their confidence.
He recounted telling Tendulkar at the time, “you won’t be dropped in this tour. You play fearlessly.” Srikkanth believes the current leadership should have shown similar faith in Sooryavanshi instead of dropping him after only three matches.
Srikkanth criticised Iyer’s statement at the toss, “Shreyas Iyer said at the toss ‘we want to get back to the best way possible’. Is this your best way forward? What is this interview?” He further questioned the decision to introduce Sooryavanshi only to remove him shortly after. “If you thought Sanju Samson was the best fit, then you should have continued with him. Why bring in Vaibhav and then drop him? Why spoil his future? You are all ruining his confidence.”
Sooryavanshi had earned his place in the Indian squad following a successful IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals, where he became the youngest Orange Cap winner after scoring 776 runs. Despite his domestic success, he was unable to make a significant impact in his three international innings, being dismissed twice by England pacer Jofra Archer.
Srikkanth concluded by stating, “Should Gambhir and Shreyas not give Sooryavanshi that kind of confidence? It’s not fair. I am very upset with the way they are treating Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.” The controversy adds to India’s disappointing UK tour, where they lost both T20I series against Ireland and England.
The team management has faced scrutiny for frequently altering its opening combination, with Samson being dropped after just three matches despite his recent T20 World Cup accolade, while Sooryavanshi was not given an extended opportunity after his international debut.
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Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
