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Journalism of Courage
‘Even my wife is questioning his exclusion’: Srikkanth on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Sanju Samson was favoured ahead of Sooryavanshi in the 1st Afghanistan T20I game but the Kerala batter could manage just 10 runs even as India won by 7 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of India celebrates after scoring his fifty runs during the 1st T20 International match between Zimbabwe and India at the Harare Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe on July 23, 2026. (CREIMAS)
Former India player Krishnamachari Srikkanth tore into the Indian team management for dropping the prodigal Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the playing XI of the 1st T20I match vs Afghanistan on Sunday. Sanju Samson was favoured ahead of him in the match but the Kerala batter could manage just 10 runs even as India won by 7 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.
“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.
“You are sending wrong signals, and you are creating doubts in all the players’ minds. Sooryavanshi has scored at every level from Duleep Trophy, T20Is, for India-A and the IPL. You should be promoting him,” he added.
This isn’t the first time the Indian team has rotated Sanju and Sooryavanshi around. The England T20I series saw Samson play the first match before being benched for the next 3 matches as Sooryavanshi, who made his debut, was given an opportunity. But after the Rajasthan Royals player couldn’t score big, Samson was brought back for the 5th T20I.
Samson was rested for the next series vs Zimbabwe and Sooryavanshi played all three matches, scoring 81 in the third encounter. Now, in the Afghanistan series, Sooryavanshi was dropped from the first match and Samson was handed a start.
“This team management is playing around with Sanju Samson. I pity Samson. Either you give him an extended run and then drop him or give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a run of matches without dropping him. The mistake India are making is both are getting two matches here and there. That’s not good for the player,” Srikkanth said.
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