Stories
Gautam Gambhir and India management slammed for benching Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
- •Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been consistently left out of India's playing XI in the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies.
- •Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have been preferred as the first-choice opening pair by head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team management.
- •Sooryavanshi's childhood coach, Manish Ojha, strongly criticized the management, accusing them of running a dictatorship by keeping the young talent on the bench.
- •Ojha argued that keeping players on the bench does not help them grow and that youngsters must be given playing opportunities to prepare for the future.
Key Questions Answered
Since returning from his debut series in England in July 2026, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has struggled to secure a permanent spot because the team management has preferred Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as the first-choice openers. During the series against the West Indies, Samson was reinstated at the top of the order, leaving the 15-year-old on the bench.
Childhood coach Manish Ojha accused the Gautam Gambhir-led management of practicing "dictatorship" and mishandling the teenage prodigy by keeping him on the bench. Ojha argued that players cannot develop by serving water on the sidelines and stressed that young generational talents must be given actual playing time in match situations to grow.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his international debut during an away T20I series against England in July 2026. Following that appearance, he has faced continuous selection hurdles and prolonged stints on the bench during subsequent bilateral series.
