'Crush his confidence': Kris Srikkanth slams Gautam Gambhir's treatment of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

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'Crush his confidence': Kris Srikkanth slams Gautam Gambhir's treatment of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:​

• Krishnamachari Srikkanth slammed Gautam Gambhir for dropping Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after three low scores.
• Teen hits record 18-ball fifty on return, becomes youngest T20I half-century scorer.
• Ex-selector praises Sooryavanshi's fearless approach despite the failures.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth fumes at Gautam Gambhir's handling of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi​

Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth has lashed out against head coach Gautam Gambhir for axing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the playing eleven after just three underwhelming innings during the England series.

Sooryavanshi's opening stretch in England read 14, 13 and 15 across three matches, numbers that ultimately saw him left out of the fifth and final T20I of that tour.

However, the teenager returned to action against Zimbabwe on Thursday and rewrote the record books, becoming the youngest cricketer in history to register a T20I half-century.

After struggling to pass 15 in each of his first three senior appearances, he finally found his rhythm in match number four, smashing an unbeaten fifty off just 18 deliveries.

Gambhir, who is currently not travelling with the squad for the Zimbabwe leg of the tour, found himself on the receiving end of sharp criticism from Srikkanth over the earlier decision to drop Sooryavanshi.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth pointed out that the youngster possesses an effortless range of strokes and hadn't played a single cross-batted shot during his standout knock.

"He (Sooryavanshi) has an effortless range of shots, yet, not one shot was cross-batted. This boy is really something special. How did Gautam Gambhir foolishly drop him, of all people, after three failures to crush his confidence?" said Srikkanth.

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Lavish praise for Sooryavanshi's work ethic and fearlessness​

With Gambhir absent from this leg of the tour, veteran India batting great VVS Laxman has stepped into the head coach's role for the Zimbabwe series. However, Srikkanth didn't stop at criticising the coaching decision; he also took the opportunity to commend Sooryavanshi's dedication behind the scenes.

"I salute Vaibhav for his dedication. After the England series, he didn't go home and instead went straight to the Rajasthan Royals camp. He has been working on his batting against the short ball because he wants to prove to the whole world that he is special," Srikkanth added.

MORE: India's bowling coach's plan could help Sooryavanshi evolve into future all-round option

Srikkanth also praised the teenager's refusal to abandon his naturally attacking game despite the run of low scores, noting that most players in his position would have shifted toward a more cautious approach, rotating strike and prioritising survival to protect their spot in the side.

"The ease at which he scores at a 250 strike rate is extraordinary," Srikanth said. "Normally, after three failures, other players would have tried to safeguard their place in the Indian team by taking singles and twos. But he played fearlessly without worrying about the consequences. Scoring a 50 off 18 balls has become child's play for him. That's his greatness."

MORE: 'I'm liking the vibe here' - Sooryavanshi on scoring runs at Harare after maiden international 50

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Was dropping Sooryavanshi really the wrong call?​

Srikkanth's frustration is understandable, but it's worth separating emotion from cricketing logic here. Three low scores against a strong England attack isn't an unreasonable basis to reassess a teenager's role, especially when the team is searching for consistency at the top of the order.

MORE: Sachin Tendulkar vs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after first five international innings: Comparing stats of India's youngest debutants

That said, the manner and timing of such decisions matter enormously for a player this young, and public confidence can be just as important as technical adjustments at 15 years old. What this episode really highlights isn't necessarily poor judgment from Gambhir, but rather how quickly narratives shift in modern cricket, one struggling series can label a player fragile, while one fearless innings can flip that story entirely.

Sooryavanshi's response, choosing extra training over sulking, deserves genuine credit regardless of how the selection call is judged. Ultimately, his comeback suggests the setback may have fuelled rather than dented his confidence, which somewhat undercuts Srikkanth's core argument.

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