Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has expressed strong disapproval regarding the handling of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a 15-year-old player, during the recent T20I tours of Ireland and England. Srikkanth specifically criticised captain Shreyas Iyer and also mentioned Gautam Gambhir in his remarks, questioning the team management’s approach to young talent.
Sooryavanshi was initially part of the squad for the Ireland series but did not feature in any matches. He was subsequently included in the playing XI against England after Sanju Samson experienced a period of low scores. However, after participating in three matches, the teenager was removed from the lineup for the fifth and final T20I. India ultimately lost the five-match series against England by a margin of 0-4.
Concerns over player treatment
Srikkanth voiced his displeasure with Iyer’s explanation for the team change, which was given at the toss before the final T20I. Iyer had stated, “I feel this is the time we need to try what’s the best going forward for us as a team. So based on that, we decided this.” This statement did not sit well with Srikkanth, who later commented on his YouTube channel, expressing his upset with the interview.
The former captain questioned the team’s strategy concerning young players, emphasising that consistent standards should be applied to everyone within the team structure. He remarked, “This is not the way to talk. How you are treating your players, how you are forming a young team is important. If this is the way forward, the way forward is to change everybody (the leadership group).” Srikkanth further challenged Iyer’s performance, suggesting that if players are dropped based on their performance, the same criteria should apply to Gambhir and the captain himself.
Sooryavanshi was introduced into the side following Sanju Samson‘s struggles, despite Samson being named the Player of the Tournament at the recent T20 World Cup. Samson failed to score significantly in three consecutive innings, leading to Sooryavanshi’s inclusion. The young player recorded scores of 14 in Manchester, 13 in Nottingham, and 15 in Bristol before being left out of the final match of the series.
Srikkanth questioned the rationale behind dropping Sooryavanshi, asking, “What wrong did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi do? Is this how you groom young players?” He highlighted that Sooryavanshi had earned his place in the squad after a notable performance in the IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals, where he became the youngest Orange Cap winner after scoring 776 runs. Despite showing flashes of his attacking ability, he was unable to make a major impact in his three international innings, and England pacer Jofra Archer dismissed him twice during the series.
Lessons from the past
The former India opener drew a comparison to his own experience as captain when he gave a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar his international debut during the 1989 tour of Pakistan. Srikkanth stressed the importance of supporting young players to build their confidence. He recounted telling Tendulkar at the time, “you won’t be dropped in this tour. You play fearlessly.”
Srikkanth argued that the current leadership should have shown similar faith in Sooryavanshi instead of dropping him after only three matches. He questioned Iyer’s approach, stating, “Shreyas Iyer said at the toss ‘we want to get back to the best way possible’. Is this your best way forward? What is this interview? If you thought Sanju Samson was the best fit, then you should have continued with him. Why bring in Vaibhav and then drop him? Why spoil his future? You are all ruining his confidence.”
He concluded by saying, “Should Gambhir and Shreyas not give Sooryavanshi that kind of confidence? It’s not fair. I am very upset with the way they are treating Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.” The controversy surrounding Sooryavanshi’s treatment contributed to a disappointing UK tour for India, which included a 0-2 loss against Ireland before the 0-4 sweep by England in the T20I series.
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Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
