India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the omission of Sanju Samson from the England series, calling it a difficult decision, while emphasizing that young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi must remain patient for his chance.
NEW DELHI – Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, described the decision to exclude Sanju Samson from the upcoming series against England as “probably the toughest” of his coaching career. He also indicated that the promising teenage batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will need to wait for his opportunity to represent India.
In recent days, fans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium had been eager to see Sooryavanshi make his debut for the national team on home soil. However, he did not feature in India’s recent 3-0 series victory over Afghanistan, which concluded with a commanding 127-run win for the hosts.
Gambhir praised Sooryavanshi’s talent, stating, “I think his talent itself is enough for him to be impressive. I think he showed what he is capable of. Someone doesn’t become a Player of the Tournament in a World Cup without having any talent, so he has done enough.” This comment came during a post-match press conference where he reflected on the team’s performance.
Sooryavanshi made headlines earlier this year when he became India’s youngest debutant in England, where he scored 42 runs across three matches. He followed that up with a stellar series against Zimbabwe, where he emerged as the leading run-scorer, amassing 151 runs at an impressive average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10. His outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Series award.
With Samson struggling for runs, it seemed that Sooryavanshi might have a chance to open the batting against Afghanistan. Instead, Gambhir opted to stick with the opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Samson, who had previously led India to victory in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
This decision proved fruitful, as Sharma and Samson combined to score a remarkable 346 runs throughout the series, including a standout 142-run opening partnership in the match on September 17.
Gambhir elaborated on his decision-making process, saying, “But again, sometimes you go with a player’s form as well, and in this series, I was always very clear, from my point of view, that we want to go back with the combination that we had during the World Cup because those guys, after three or four failures, don’t become bad players.” He emphasized the importance of maintaining faith in a successful team, stating, “The kind of cricket we play, if a team that has gone unbeaten from one World Cup to the other World Cup and has won the World Cup, I’m sure it’s a gun team.” Gambhir reiterated that a few poor performances should not diminish the players’ abilities.
Addressing Sooryavanshi’s situation, Gambhir confirmed that the young player had been informed that he would need to wait for his chance, regardless of age. “So, that is what these guys have shown here as well. It was again a very clear conversation that he has to wait for his opportunity,” he explained.
He concluded by acknowledging Sooryavanshi’s potential, stating, “We know what kind of talent he has. We know what he can do. But again, someone who’s done extremely well over a period of two years. Obviously, that’s how cricket goes, whether you’re 15 years old or 30 years old. Then you have to wait for your opportunity.”
According to IANS, Gambhir’s comments reflect a commitment to building a strong team while also nurturing emerging talent like Sooryavanshi.