Gautam Gambhir addresses Vaibhav Sooryavanshi selection after India's series win

Following India’s 3-0 T20I series sweep against Afghanistan, head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the selection decisions regarding young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Despite Sooryavanshi’s strong performances in previous series, including being named Player of the Series in Zimbabwe, he did not feature in the Afghanistan series.

Gambhir stated that he has been transparent with Sooryavanshi, explaining that the player must wait for his opportunity. The coach emphasized that while the management recognizes Sooryavanshi’s immense talent, seniority and consistent performance over the last few years take precedence. Gambhir noted that age is not a factor in the selection hierarchy and that when Sooryavanshi does receive a chance, it will be for a sustained period rather than just one or two matches.

The decision to favor the opening duo of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma was based on maintaining the combination that led India to the 2026 T20 World Cup title. Samson and Sharma contributed significantly to the series win, combining for 346 runs. Gambhir described the decision to exclude Samson from a previous series against England as one of the most difficult of his coaching career, but defended the current strategy of sticking with proven performers.