Kris Srikkanth has questioned India’s decision to leave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the playing XI for the opening T20I against Afghanistan, with the former India captain and chief selector alleging that the teenage batter is not being treated fairly.The selection call came amid a familiar opening dilemma for India following Sanju Samson’s return to the squad. The team management ultimately opted for Samson and Abhishek Sharma at the top, leaving Sooryavanshi on the bench.
Srikkanth questions Sooryavanshi’s exclusion
The decision was particularly surprising given Sooryavanshi’s impact in India’s previous T20I assignment. The 15-year-old was named Player of the Series against Zimbabwe after scoring 151 runs at a stunning strike rate of 196.10.Sooryavanshi had also only recently featured in the Duleep Trophy final, meaning he had very little time to make the transition from red-ball cricket back to T20 cricket.Srikkanth admitted he was surprised by the call and revealed that even his wife questioned why the youngster was not playing.“Yesterday, because Sooryavanshi didn’t play, we started watching a movie. 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,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.The former selector believes India need to show greater faith in Sooryavanshi, especially after the teenager’s performances in domestic cricket and the IPL for Rajasthan Royals.He also cautioned that frequent changes at the top could create uncertainty for the batters involved, with players unsure about how secure their places are.
‘I pity Samson’
Srikkanth also took aim at the way Samson has been managed by the Indian team.Samson was part of India’s starting combination at the beginning of their UK campaign in July but was replaced by Sooryavanshi after three matches. He returned for the seventh and final game of the tour before being rested for the subsequent Zimbabwe series.According to Srikkanth, neither Samson nor Sooryavanshi is benefiting from being given sporadic opportunities. He urged the management to settle on a clearer approach instead of rotating the two players in and out of the side.“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,” Srikkanth said.
