Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has remained on the bench for all four T20Is against the West Indies, with India preferring the opening combination of
Sanju Samson and
Abhishek Sharma.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has backed the current opening pair, saying dropping either Samson or Abhishek to accommodate Sooryavanshi would be unfair. He pointed to Samson’s ability and past performances, including his Player of the Tournament award at the World Cup.
"I think Samson showed what he is capable of. Someone doesn't become Player Of The Tournament in the World Cup without having talent, so he has done enough. Obviously, it was tough- probably the toughest decision I have taken in my coaching career, was leaving him out of that England series because of the way he had performed before that," said Gambhir.
He added that a few poor performances do not make established players less capable, particularly those who helped India win the World Cup. Gambhir said the team wanted to return to the combination that had worked during the tournament.
Ahead of the fifth ODI, the 15-year-old batter has shared a cryptic social media post saying "still believing", suggesting he remains hopeful of getting an opportunity in the fifth and final match as India look to win the series.
Sooryavanshi assured of a longer run
Gambhir acknowledged the teenager’s talent but stressed that he must wait for his chance, with experienced players currently ahead of him in the selection order.
"From Vaibhav's point of view, it is again a very clear conversation that he has to wait for his opportunity. We know the kind of talent he has. We know what he can do. But again, someone who done extremely well over a period of years obviously will always be ahead of someone who has got into the team. Whenever he gets that chance, you will get a longer run as well," he explained.