India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to warm the bench during the ongoing five-match T20I series against the West Indies. After handing an international debut to the 15-year-old wonderkid, India played musical chairs with the opening slot alongside Abhishek Sharma. Sanju Samson and Sooryavanshi kept fighting for the remaining position, with neither batter getting a longer run. In the build-up to the recently concluded Asian Games 2026, India played Samson as an opener against Afghanistan. They, surprisingly, dropped him to number three at the Asiad, with Sooryavanshi opening alongside Abhishek.
Just when the southpaw looked set to continue in the role in the following T20I series, which turned out to be against the West Indies, India opted for a change again.
This time, Samson got to play the first three T20Is, with Sooryavanshi warming the bench again.
In a recent interaction, Sooryavanshi’s childhood coach Manish Ojha lashed out at the Gautam Gambhir-led team management over the handling of the teenager.
“According to me, Vaibhav is like a storm. Whoever tries to take him on will eventually break, if not today, then tomorrow,” Manish Ojha told Sports Now.
“This current Indian team management feels that they make players by keeping them on the bench. There are many other legends of cricket; you talk to them, and everyone will say that if we have to prepare the next generation of players, they must be put into those situations; they must be made to play. Sitting on the bench, no player has ever been made, nor will they be. And especially if such talent is kept on the bench,” he added.
The coach slammed the team management’s decisions, terming it “dictatorship”.
“Then either they have made up their mind that this kid will not be given a chance… keep him out and frustrate him so much. He is sitting outside and serving water. I feel that the management that is here right now is practising a kind of dictatorship where whatever comes to mind, they will do.”
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