India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended his selection approach after teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was ruled out of the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand.
Interacting with the media before the game,he said,”First of all, my job is not to make everyone happy. My job is to take the right decisions, not the popular decisions. And that is what I’m there for,” Gambhir told the broadcaster ahead of the match.”
He also pointed to the influence of social media and the noise surrounding selection decisions, stressing that the team’s priorities had to come before outside opinion.
“It is very easy to take the popular decision. But for me, I think the important thing is to take the right decision and make sure that there is a lot of security inside the dressing room,” he added.
Sooryavanshi was dropped from the playing XI after Ishan Kishan returned from injury. He missed the fourth T20I in Auckland and was left out of the final match at Seddon Park, Hamilton, on Sunday.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have been consistent at the top of the order, leaving Sooryavanshi to wait for his chance. There is no room for complacency when playing for the country, Gambhir said while responding to questions keeping players motivated.
Previously,Gambhir faced questions over his repeated preference for Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana in the XI.