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Gautam Gambhir Caved To Media Pressure Over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Claims Badrinath
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News18•05-10-2026, 23:35
Gautam Gambhir Caved To Media Pressure Over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Claims Badrinath
- •Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath stated that Gautam Gambhir dropped Sanju Samson for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi due to immense media pressure and hype.
- •Badrinath believes the controversial selection was not purely a cricketing decision, acknowledging that external pressures can influence team management.
- •Gautam Gambhir later admitted the decision was a mistake, revealing it caused him the only sleepless nights of his career.
- •Sanju Samson eventually reclaimed his spot in the lineup, with the team preparing for the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies in Lucknow.
Key Questions Answered
Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath stated that head coach Gautam Gambhir dropped Sanju Samson for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi due to media pressure and massive hype surrounding the teenager following the IPL season, rather than making a purely cricketing decision.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player ever to debut for India in men's cricket at just 15 years and 99 days old, breaking records previously held by Sachin Tendulkar and Shafali Verma.
After Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was pushed back to the bench following the Zimbabwe tour, Sanju Samson returned to open alongside Abhishek Sharma for four consecutive matches against Afghanistan and played at number three at the 2026 Asian Games.
