Srikkanth slams India management over Samson and Sooryavanshi

Former India captain and chief selector Kris Srikkanth has questioned the team management’s decision to leave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the playing XI for the opening T20I against Afghanistan. Srikkanth said the teenage batter is not being treated fairly. The selection call came as India faced a familiar opening dilemma following Sanju Samson’s return to the squad. The team management ultimately chose Samson and Abhishek Sharma at the top, leaving Sooryavanshi on the bench.

Surprise Over the Decision

Srikkanth admitted he was surprised by the call. He revealed that even his wife questioned why the youngster was not playing. He said his wife was shouting that Sooryavanshi did not play and argued that someone who was the Player of the Match in the last match should not be sitting out. Srikkanth added that if Sooryavanshi plays the next match, he will wonder whether he will be dropped if he does not score. He believes this kind of uncertainty is not good for a young player.

Sooryavanshi’s Recent Performances

The decision was particularly surprising given Sooryavanshi’s impact in India’s previous T20I assignment. The 15-year-old was named Player of the Series against Zimbabwe after scoring 151 runs at a stunning strike rate of 196.10. He had also only recently featured in the Duleep Trophy final, meaning he had very little time to make the transition from red-ball cricket back to T20 cricket. Srikkanth believes India need to show greater faith in Sooryavanshi, especially after the teenager’s performances in domestic cricket and the IPL for Rajasthan Royals.

Concerns Over Samson’s Management

Srikkanth also took aim at the way Sanju Samson has been managed by the Indian team. Samson was part of India’s starting combination at the beginning of their UK campaign in July but was replaced by Sooryavanshi after three matches. He returned for the seventh and final game of the tour before being rested for the subsequent Zimbabwe series. According to Srikkanth, neither Samson nor Sooryavanshi is benefiting from being given sporadic opportunities. He said he pities Samson and urged the management to settle on a clearer approach instead of rotating the two players in and out of the side.

Call for a Clearer Approach

Srikkanth said the team management is playing around with Sanju Samson. He believes the selectors should either give Samson an extended run and then drop him or give Sooryavanshi a run of matches without dropping him. He said the mistake India are making is that both players are getting two matches here and there. That is not good for the player. He also cautioned that frequent changes at the top could create uncertainty for the batters involved, with players unsure about how secure their places are.

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