IND vs AFG, 2nd T20I: Former India captain and chief selector Kris Srikkanth has questioned India’s decision to leave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the playing XI for the first T20I against Afghanistan, saying the teenage batter needs more backing from the team management.
India opened with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson in the series opener, while Sooryavanshi was left out of the XI. The decision came despite the 15-year-old being named Player of the Series in India’s previous T20I assignment against Zimbabwe, where he scored 151 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 196.10.
Srikkanth felt Sooryavanshi’s omission was difficult to understand given his recent performances and said the teenager should not be made uncertain about his place in the side.
“Yesterday, because Sooryavanshi didn’t play, we started watching a movie. My wife was shouting that Sooryavanshi didn’t play and started arguing that someone who was the Player of the Match in the last match isn’t playing. Even my wife is questioning his exclusion. You are not treating Sooryavanshi properly. Now, if he plays the next match, he’ll wonder whether he’ll be dropped if he doesn’t score,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
The former India opener also highlighted Sooryavanshi’s performances in domestic cricket and the IPL for Rajasthan Royals, arguing that India need to show greater faith in the youngster.
Srikkanth further warned that frequent changes to the opening combination could affect the confidence of the batters and leave them unsure about their positions in the team.
India will face Afghanistan in the second T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday, September 15. The hosts lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning the opening game.
With Sooryavanshi’s inclusion likely to be one of the key talking points ahead of the match, it remains to be seen whether India hand the youngster an opportunity in the second T20I.
