Vaibhav Sooryavanshi burst onto the international scene in stunning fashion, becoming the youngest player to score a maiden T20I half-century in India’s first T20I against Zimbabwe on Thursday.The 15-year-old became the youngest player to score a maiden T20I half-century with his 18-ball fifty in Harare. The teenage batsman responded in time, scoring 14, 13 and 15 runs in India’s first three matches of the T20I series against England. After these games, Sooryavanshi was left out of the squad for the fifth and final T20I. His exclusion comes at a time when India’s selection decisions are under intense scrutiny. Earlier in the England series, Sanzhou SamsonHe was the player of the tournament during India’s T20 World Cup win but he was left out and Sooryavanshi was brought into the starting XI. However, in the fifth game, the management changed direction, reinstating Samson and ruling out the youngster. Samson was subsequently left out of the Indian squad for the tour of Zimbabwe. Former India captain and ex-BCCI selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth admitted he was confused by the decision to drop Sooryavanshi after just 3 defeats and pointed the finger at the head coach Gautam Gambhir More than mobile. “His (Sooryavanshi) range of shots was effortless but not a single shot was crossed. This boy is truly special. How did Gautam Gambhir foolishly drop him after three defeats and destroy his confidence?” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, according to Sportskeeda. Former India batsman as Gambhir is not with the team for tour of Zimbabwe VVS Laxman Serves as the team’s interim head coach. Srikanth also highlighted the youngster’s commitment to improvement and revealed that Suryavanshi returned to work immediately after the England series instead of taking a break. “I salute Vaibhav for his dedication. After the England series, he did not go home but went straight to the stadium rajasthan royals camp. He has been working hard on the short ball because he wants to prove to the world that he is special,” Srikanth added. The 1983 World Cup winner was also impressed by the fearlessness shown by Suryavanshi despite the pressure he faced to retain his place in the national team. Srikanth said many young players would opt for safer routes after a string of low scores, but the teenager remains committed to attack. “The ease with which he scored 250 runs at a strike rate of 250 was extraordinary. Normally, after three defeats, other players would try to defend their place in the Indian team through singles and doubles. But he played fearlessly without fear of the consequences. Scoring 50 goals from 18 balls is a piece of cake for him. That’s the greatness of him,” Srikanth explained.Suryavanshi’s explosive innings not only earned him a place in the record books but also cemented his status as one of India’s most exciting young batting talents. Srikanth’s comments also highlight the selection dilemma and team composition issues that India continue to face.
