'How did he foolishly drop him' - Kris Srikkanth slams Gambhir over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi axing

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth criticised head coach Gautam Gambhir's decision to drop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after three low scores in England during the 5-match T20I series. The 15-year-old batter's explosive 18-ball half-century powered India to a seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the first T20I at Harare. At 15 years and 118 days, Sooryavanshi set a T20I record as the youngest to reach a fifty in men's international cricket.

The youngster had registered scores of 14, 13, and 15 across his opening three T20Is against England before the elimination. Gambhir dropped him for the fifth and final T20I, bringing back Sanju Samson to the side. The decision to axe Sooryavanshi after just three matches raised serious questions about the team's approach to backing emerging talent through early setbacks.

"He 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?" Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

What impressed Srikkanth most about Sooryavanshi's work ethic?

Srikkanth praised Sooryavanshi's determination and commitment. The former opener was equally impressed with Sooryavanshi's fearless approach after three consecutive failures. The left-handed opener displayed four sixes and four boundaries at a strike rate exceeding 260 in the 18-ball knock. 

"I salute Vaibhav for his determination. He did not go home after the series against England, but joined the Rajasthan Royals camp straight away. He is working hard on his batting against the short ball to show the world that he is special", said Srikkanth.

Srikkanth emphasised that instead of playing cautiously after early struggles, Sooryavanshi attacked from the first delivery and refused to abandon his aggressive instincts. India chased down Zimbabwe's target of 126 with more than six overs remaining. The teenager's Zimbabwe redemption sets the stage for his upcoming matches in the series as India looks to build momentum going forward.