Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old who took the cricket world by storm, is once again in the limelight, as the Indian team benched him for the final T20I match against England.
The teen batting sensation broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record when he became the youngest-ever player to be picked for the Indian national team, and the youngest to represent India across formats. He is also the youngest debutant from a Test-playing nation in T20I history.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
This came after Sooryavanshi’s sensational performance for Rajasthan Royals, where he got a total of 776 runs, including a century and five fifties, along with finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer while smashing a record 72 sixes.
However, this performance did not translate across formats; in his first three matches against England, he gained just 14 runs in the Manchester grounds, 13 in Nottingham, and 15 in Bristol, respectively.
In the final T20I against England, India dropped Sooryavanshi, a controversial decision that drew ire from cricket legends. However, Indian captain Shreyas Iyer defended the move, speaking at the post-match press conference.
He said that Sooryavanshi had to be replaced by Sanju Samson, who has “won so many series for us [India] in the past”. The management wanted to have a left-hand, right-hand combination at the top of the batting order, which led to pairing Samson and Abhishek Sharma, he said.
India’s cricket great Sunil Gavaskar said the youngster deserved another chance, and that Sooryavanshi appeared dejected, Indian media reported.
I just hope somebody puts an arm around his shoulder, some senior player, and says, ‘Look, this is not the end.’
Sunil Gavaskar
He noted that if there was an opportunity to win the series, he would understand giving another player a chance, but given the existing score at the time, (3-0), making it impossible for India to win, Sooryavanshi should have been retained.
Meanwhile, former player Mohammad Kaif, regarded as one of the greatest Indian fielders, said he had “never seen a more confused Indian cricket team management.”
He called out the team, stating that both Sooryavanshi and Samson “need to be given confidence not doubts in their minds.”
The handling of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson has been far from professional. One is a generational talent, another World Cup winner
Mohammad Kaif
Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu slammed poor communication. He said the team must “take care of him just a little bit more”, pointing out that Sooryavanshi is a youngster “who will serve Indian cricket for 20 to 25 years.”
“It’s very important for management to absorb all the negativity, soak up all the pressure, and keep youngsters like him in a bubble of positivity,” Rayudu said, according to Indian media reports.
Source: Khaleej Times