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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been among the most talked-about young batters in world cricket, but his recent absence from the T20I playing XI has raised questions over India's selection plans. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has now revealed the conversation he had with the 15-year-old after deciding to continue with the established opening combination.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma remain India's first-choice openers in T20I cricket despite Sooryavanshi being in red-hot form. Gautam Gambhir explained that the teenager understands he may have to wait for his opportunities because the current combination has delivered consistently over a long period.
I made him understand - Gautam Gambhir on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Gautam Gambhir acknowledged that leaving out a player in excellent form is never an easy decision, particularly when that player is as young and talented as Sooryavanshi. However, the head coach said he spoke directly to the youngster about how selection decisions are made inside the Indian dressing room.
The 15-year-old has attracted significant attention with his aggressive batting and performances at the domestic and franchise levels. His form has naturally led to calls for greater opportunities, but India's management has continued with Samson and Abhishek at the top.
"It was a new experience for me as well. Yes, he was in good form, but I made him understand that sometimes, because of the players who have done well for a long time, he will have to wait for his opportunity. And there's one more thing, social media or outside noise doesn't decide the playing eleven. It depends on who in that dressing room, or who the coach and captain feel can win us the match, or what is the best playing eleven, and who have done well for such a long time," Gambhir said on JioStar's 'Follow the Blues: Gautam Gambhir Unfiltered'.
Sometimes you will have to wait for your opportunity - Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir also pointed out the difficulty of making room for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi when it would mean leaving out either Samson or Abhishek. Both openers have established themselves in India's T20I plans, making the decision about continuity more important than simply rewarding current form.
The head coach said dropping either of the two after a short run of failures would send the wrong message to the dressing room, especially when they have contributed consistently over the past couple of years.
"If Vaibhav plays today, then it's going to be a tough conversation between me and whoever we leave out, whether it's Abhishek or whether it's Sanju. So, we can't suddenly ignore a combination that has created such an impact over the last one and a half or two years, and after three or four failures, drop them and play a young player who is very talented, who is also in very good form. So, sometimes you will have to wait for your opportunity because we want to create that security in that dressing room."
It is very easy for me to take popular decisions - Gautam Gambhir
For Gautam Gambhir, the decision is not about ignoring Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's form. Instead, he believes India's existing combination deserves backing, particularly with the team building towards another World Cup campaign.
The coach admitted that selecting the most popular option would be easier, but maintaining continuity can require a different approach. He stressed that a few poor performances should not immediately change the team's assessment of players who have delivered consistently.
"It is very easy for me to take popular decisions, but it is probably the toughest thing for me to take the right decisions. And we've taken the right decision of continuing with Sanju and Abhishek. And no team in the history of sport has gone undefeated from one World Cup to the other and gone on to win the World Cup again. Suddenly, one bad series or three bad games here and there does not make them a bad player or does not make us a bad side. So, it was very important for us to have that continuity," said the head coach.
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