Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s T20I debut marked a glorious chapter in India’s cricketing history. The 15-year-old received his cap on Saturday, replacing Sanju Samson in the playing XI for the second T20I against
England in Manchester. While there were plenty of admirers of the historic moment, several experts questioned the decision to drop Samson from the line-up to accommodate the teenage batting prodigy.
According to Cricblogger, it was head coach Gautam Gambhir who made the decisive call ahead of the second T20I. The report stated that the decision to hand Sooryavanshi his India debut ahead of Sanju Samson was driven by Gambhir’s preference.
“If Gambhir can leave out an incumbent Test captain like Rohit Sharma from the playing XI, then who is Sanju?” the report quoted a source as saying. “Even the manner in which Suryakumar Yadav was shown the door after leading India to the T20 World Cup title could be a cause for concern. It sends a strong message that no player’s place is guaranteed under the current regime.”
The decision has sparked debate within cricketing circles, especially given that Gambhir had earlier identified Samson as a potential candidate for India’s T20 captaincy. It has raised eyebrows over why a player who played such a crucial role in India’s World Cup success was dropped from the playing XI after just three underwhelming outings.
The report further stated that the decision to omit Shubman Gill from the T20 squad just days ahead of the T20 World Cup was not entirely driven by the selectors. Gambhir did not strongly endorse Gill’s inclusion, a factor that reportedly worked against the batter.
A similar situation seems to be in play in Mohammed Shami’s case. According to the report, Gambhir is believed to be against his return, while sections of the selection panel still see the experienced pacer as a valuable option in Test cricket. It further suggested that Shami himself feels his absence is largely due to Gambhir’s reluctance to have him back in the side.
