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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi answered his critics in the best possible way with a record-breaking knock in the three-match T20I series opener against Zimbabwe at Harare. After being dropped from India's playing XI after a couple of poor performances in England, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made a sensational comeback and helped India to beat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the first T20I on July 23.
The teenage batter smashed his first international fifty in only 18 balls and became the youngest player ever to score a half-century in T20I cricket at the age of 15 years and 118 days. After his fearless performance, Kris Srikkanth slammed Gautam Gambhir for his harsh call on the England tour. Earlier, Sunil Joshi heaped praise on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the 2nd T20I vs Zimbabwe.
Kris Srikkanth slams Gautam Gambhir over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi call
Kris Srikkanth felt it was really unfair to drop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the playing XI after his three failures in England. He even called Gautam Gambhir “foolish” for crushing the confidence of the 15-year-old batting sensation. However, Srikkanth hailed Vaibhav for his hard work after the England tour.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth said, “He has an effortless range of shots, yet not one shot was cross-batted. This boy is really something special. How did Gautam Gambhir foolishly drop him, of all people, after three failures to crush his confidence?
I salute Vaibhav for his dedication. After the England series, he didn't go home and instead went straight to the Rajasthan Royals camp. He has been working on his batting against the short ball because he wants to prove to the whole world that he is special.”
Kris Srikkanth makes massive 'nobody in the world' claim for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Srikkanth was impressed with the way Vaibhav attacked from the start without worrying about his place in the team. Amid this, Raj Kundra files a petition against Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale, alleging financial mismanagement.
He said most young players become careful after a few failures, but Vaibhav continued to play fearless cricket at a strike rate of around 250, and “that's his greatness."
The former Indian chief selector further said, “Where will you find a match-winner like this anywhere in the world? Nobody in the world has or can play like this. He demolished the Zimbabwean attack inside the powerplay itself. Had he got out early, you never know what might have been the outcome of the game despite Zimbabwe's low total. That's the importance of Suryavanshi's knock.”
Kris Srikkanth demands 10-match guarantee for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, backs 2027 World Cup spot
The 1983 World Cup winner further urged the team management to give Vaibhav 10 straight matches without being dropped, saying the youngster will win four or five matches on his own singlehandedly against anybody. Srikkanth said that Vaibhav is a rare match-winner and backed him to become an all-format player for India soon.
He even demanded a place for the left-hander in India's 2027 ODI World Cup plans. Vaibhav will next be seen in action on Saturday, July 25, when India will take on Zimbabwe in the second T20I in Harare, where they will aim to seal the series.
Srikkanth signed off by saying, “With time, he'll correct himself and do wonders. And it's not just T20 cricket. He must be one of the candidates for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Even for Test cricket, I'll not write him off.”
