To make it into the Indian team XI is tough, but even tougher is making a comeback after getting dropped. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi must be going through that same feeling. While a return to the India XI may not be far away, as the 15-year-old is part of the squad that will face Zimbabwe in a three-T20I series starting July 23, his reaction after being dropped for the fifth T20I against England on Saturday said it all. Sooryavanshi was filmed looking utterly disappointed, and Ambati Rayudu tried to decipher what might have happened behind the scenes.
“The way Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was reacting, it seemed he was not communicated to the night before that he was not playing. The decision to play Samson may have been taken today. Communication is important. It’s very important for management to absorb all the negativity, soak up all the pressure, and keep youngsters like him in a bubble of positivity. This does not augur really well in terms of doing that. I just feel that he is not being well protected because he is someone who will serve Indian cricket for 20-25 years,” Ambati Rayudu said on Sony Sports.
“You can’t lose out on a kid who is so brilliant. You need to take care of him just a little bit more.”
For the fifth T20I against England, India opted for the experienced Sanju Samson. Ahead of the match, there was speculation that India would play both Samson and Sooryavanshi while dropping Ishan Kishan. Instead, it was the young Sooryavanshi who was left out.
Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar wholly disagreed with the decision to drop Sooryavanshi. Before the match, he predicted Samson and Abhishek Sharma would open, with Sooryavanshi coming in at No. 3.
“I don’t have a problem with Samson coming in. We had (predicted) Sooryavanshi at No. 3. You saw the way he walked. He is disappointed. We should have given him another opportunity in this game to see whether he has learnt. Twice he has got out playing the hook shot. Look at him. Dejected. Disappointed. I hope he only looks at this as a challenge now. Not being in the side is very disappointing,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Sony Sports.
“He had given glimpses. He was ready to explode. In all three innings, he has hammered two sixes right out of the middle of the bat. There have not been any edges or anything of that sort. The potential is there. If this was a must-win match to make it 2-2, I would understand giving experienced players a chance. I think this is a match where you could have given him another opportunity. I think we missed out on that. I just hope somebody puts an arm around his shoulder, some senior player, and says, ‘Look, this is not the end.’ I think it’s a little hard for a 15-year-old to be dropped after three matches.”
