Indian skipper Gautam Gambhir has shed light on why young batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has received sparse opportunities when he has been in a happy mental state. The teenager has drawn a lot of attention but India’s strong opening bowlers duo – Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma – have made it difficult to see how the 15-year-old is going to make it in the playing XI.
Being in form doesn’t always help you get a shot at scoring at the first-possibility moment, especially when others have been consistently on display for the team, Gambhir told Sooryavanshi.
Gambhir Explains Sooryavanshi’s Wait
Talking about the events that unfolded in the selection process, Gambhir told JioStar’s Follow the Blues: Gautam Gambhir Unfiltered that he met with Sooryavanshi to let him know the working mechanism of the process.
In an acknowledgment of the youngster’s appearance, the India coach said the team must also keep in mind to have players who have performed steadily for a longer duration.
Gambhir also added that outside pressure is not a factor while making selection for XI and neither is playing XI guided by the commentaries on social media. The captain and coaching staff “have to choose the line-up they think is best to win a match,” he added.
‘It’s Going To Be A Tough Conversation’
Sooryavanshi didn’t get under 20s to open for India in the T20s series against Afghanistan. Gambhir said, “It would be a hard decision by itself; either Abhishek or Samson would have to be sacrificed in order to pick the teenager”.
He added it would be hard to sacrifice an established player for the younger player, even if the latter is in form and on track to produce, after a handful of unsuccessful at-bats.
India simply cannot afford to write off a partnership that has produced some good results in the last one-and-a-half-two years,” Gambhir added.
Gambhir Wants Security Within The Team
The India coach added that it is a choice they also made to ensure that there is a feeling of security in the dressing room. Consistently competent players should be able to prepare for the fact that they won’t fall behind just after a few poor performances.
For Sooryavanshi, Gautam Gambhir’s message was therefore about patience and waiting for the right opportunity.
With the competition being heavy at the top of the India’s T20I rankings, the youngster’s form will continue to keep him in the reckoning, but nothing much else apart from the clarity of thoughts from the captain and the coaching staff will decide whether it will be him or not the next time around.