Gambhir Explains Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Exclusion: Right Decisions Over Popular Ones

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has addressed the debate around teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s limited opportunities, saying his job is to take the right decisions for the team rather than keep everyone happy. The comments follow a wave of social media criticism over the 15-year-old’s absence from the playing XI during the T20I series against New Zealand.

Sooryavanshi featured in only two matches of the five-match series. He managed 4 runs in the second T20I, but returned with a blistering 45 off just 19 balls in the third game in Wellington, helping India win by six wickets.

Dropped After Ishan Kishan’s Return

Once Ishan Kishan returned from injury, Sooryavanshi was left out of the XI. He missed the fourth T20I in Auckland and the final match in Hamilton on Sunday. Fans questioned the decision, particularly because India had already clinched the series 3-0 and the remaining games offered a chance to back the youngster.

Gambhir’s Selection Logic

Gambhir indicated that consistent performers such as Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson deserve a longer rope in the side. He also stressed that India does not treat any fixture as a dead rubber, with every match seen as an opportunity to learn and to test the team’s combinations.

The coach’s blunt stance suggests the team management is unlikely to be swayed by public sentiment when picking its XI. For Sooryavanshi, the message is that talent alone may not guarantee a regular place, and he will have to keep delivering when chances arrive.

With his explosive knock in Wellington still fresh in memory, the young batter remains one of the most talked-about prospects in Indian cricket, and the debate over how and when to use him is unlikely to fade soon.