Krishnamachari Srikkanth, former India cricketer and BCCI chief selector, has criticized the decision of Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer’s Indian team management to exclude 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the playing XI for the first T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday. Despite being named ‘Player of the Series’ in India’s recent T20 series against Zimbabwe, Sooryavanshi was replaced by Sanju Samson, who only managed to score 10 runs in the match. Srikkanth expressed concern over the management’s handling of Sooryavanshi and voiced sympathy for Samson’s situation as well.
Former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth made his displeasure clear regarding the Indian team management’s treatment of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson.
“My wife was shouting that Sooryavanshi didn’t play, and started arguing that someone who was the Player of the Match in the last match isn’t playing. Even my wife is questioning his exclusion. “You are not treating Sooryavanshi properly. Now, if he plays the next match, he’ll wonder whether he’ll be dropped if he doesn’t score,” he stated. “You are sending wrong signals, and you are creating doubts in all the players’ minds. Sooryavanshi has scored at every level from Duleep Trophy, T20Is, for India-A and the IPL. Srikkanth further criticised the team management’s calls regarding Samson. “This team management is playing around with Sanju Samson. I pity Samson. Either you give him an extended run and then drop him or give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a run of matches without dropping him. The mistake India are making is both are getting two matches here and there. That’s not good for the player,” explained Srikkanth.
Despite being the Player of the Tournament of the T20 World Cup 2026, Samson has been in and out of the side amidst a rough patch of form.
“Yesterday, because Sooryavanshi didn’t play, we started watching a movie,” Srikkanth said, speaking on his YouTube channel . You should be promoting him,” he further said.
