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Former India cricketer Madan Lal admitted that he was surprised by India's poor performances in the recent T20I series in Ireland and England. He also slammed the blind slogging by the teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma in the ongoing five-match T20I series in England.
Madan Lal believes that there is a huge difference between IPL and international cricket. Attacking Vaibhav, he stressed that performing in the IPL does not automatically guarantee success at the highest level because international cricket is much more challenging. Recently, WV Raman breaks silence on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's poor form ahead of 5th IND vs ENG T20I.
Madan Lal slams Team India after T20I collapse, questions big selection calls
Recently, Madan Lal questioned why proven international players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant were left out despite already proving themselves in overseas conditions. Even he slammed the selectors for destroying the match-winning team in the format.
Madan Lal was quoted as saying by PTI: “I am definitely shocked. We have played very poor cricket and lost five matches. We should have won against Ireland. There is a huge difference between the IPL and international cricket, and it takes time to establish yourself at the international level.
Players who have performed well overseas, such as Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, are not part of this team. Building a team is very difficult, while destroying it is very easy.”
Talent alone is not enough: Madan Lal's reality check for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The former Indian cricketer further insisted that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should not be judged too quickly. He feels Vaibhav deserves more opportunities because he has the talent, but at the same time, he must learn to build an innings instead of trying to attack every delivery.
The former Indian team manager has also pointed out that coaches cannot completely change a player's natural game. In a bold and strong message to Vaibhav, Lal said that every batter has to learn from experience and understand when to attack and when to defend.
He explained, “You have the talent, and that’s why you have been given that big spot (dropping Sanju Samson), so it is your duty to perform. However, he is a youngster, and we should give him more matches. He will get the experience. But he will have to sort out his own game and manage his game.
VIDEO | Former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup-winning team member Madan Lal on India's T20I series defeat to England and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's start to his international career says, "I am definitely shocked. We have played very poor cricket and lost five matches. We should… pic.twitter.com/nSPaMJax42
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 10, 2026
He can’t hit every ball. The conditions are different. Even the standards are different. You have to manage your game. You can play 2-3 more matches because of your talent, but at the end of the day, you have to perform. We need a performer to win a match. You should manage your game. You have to go to that level and manage.”
Madan Lal slams Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's careless approach
The former World Cup winner also pointed out that both Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have been trying to attack every ball, which has hurt India in English conditions. Amid this, Bizarre! India stuck in traffic as 5th T20I start is delayed in England.
He explained that T20 cricket is a 20-over game, not a six-over contest, and a batter cannot hit every ball for boundaries or sixes. He stressed that the young batters need to understand match situations, respect the conditions, and learn how to manage their game and batting.
Lal further said, “Both Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hit every ball. They hit every ball. The conditions are different. At that level, you can't afford to hit every ball. Club cricket is different from international cricket."
"It's not a six-over match but a 20-over game. You have to manage your innings well. They should not hit every ball. They should not slog every ball. They should stop slogging.”
Madan Lal questions Sanju Samson's omission, backs Shreyas Iyer
Talking about Captain Shreyas Iyer, Madan Lal said that the new captain is doing well both as a skipper and batter but the Indian team “is not supporting him” at all.
He also slammed the decision to drop Sanju Samson from the playing XI because of the outside pressure and hype around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He acknowledged Vaibhav's huge talent but felt the youngster should have waited for the right opportunity instead of being rushed into the team at the cost of the proven batter.
