India battered Afghanistan in the T20 series. But the fans waited for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to take the field and hit the bowlers all around the park. That didn’t happen. Fans are angry, and now former cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth has slammed the Gautam Gambhir management.
What Did Krishnamachari Srikkanth Say About Gautam Gambhir Not Playing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi?
Srikkanth, appearing on his YouTube channel, did not mince words while evaluating the mismanagement of the youngster. Emphasizing the missed opportunity to build momentum in familiar home conditions.
“(Vaibhav) Sooryavanshi would have got an opportunity to play in Indian conditions… And it would have given him more confidence,” Srikkanth said.
It’s a genuine missed chance. Sooryavanshi amassed 151 runs at a 196.10 strike rate to claim the Player of the Series award against Zimbabwe. That too after making his debut in tough conditions in England.
Sooryavanshi came to Afghanistan games after gruelling red-ball cricket in the Duleep Trophy. But didn’t get a chance in a series, where India could have easily rotated the openers, replacing either Sanju Samson or Abhishek Sharma.
Proper preservation and strategic planning are paramount for safeguarding elite raw talent. But that didn’t happen in a series where Sooryavanshi could have gotten a chance on familiar ground, a flat track.
“Grooming (Vaibhav) Sooryavanshi is very important. How are they going to groom him? I don’t know. He is an uncut diamond for world cricket,” Srikkanth warned.
Sooryavanshi’s snub is not the only questionable decision. Yash Thakur got a game, whereas the likes of Rajat Patidar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t even make the squad.
“It’s not fair to people like Prince Yadav, who’s done a brilliant job in England… What wrong did Rajat Patidar do in life? What wrong did Krunal Pandya do in life? What wrong did Bhuvneshwar do in life?” Srikkanth added.
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