'You're discouraging that boy' - Kris Srikkanth backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for more chances in India XI

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been an irregular feature in India's Playing XI in the T20I team, a decision that drew sharp criticism from former India opener Kris Srikkanth. The 15-year-old had been included in the squad for the five-match series against New Zealand, which began on October 22 2026, but found himself on the bench once again after Ishan Kishan returned from injury.

Sooryavanshi had earned his place in the earlier matches of the series when Kishan was unavailable due to injury, playing two T20Is in that period. His most notable contribution came in the third T20I at Wellington on October 27, 2026, where he struck 45 off just 19 balls. However, once Kishan recovered and returned for the fourth T20I at Eden Park in Auckland, Sooryavanshi was dropped from the starting lineup and did not feature in the decider at Hamilton either.

The former India skipper argued that the Gautam Gambhir-led team management had not handled the teenager's development well.

"Give a good run to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Give the three openers clarity. Tell them you'll play 3 matches and you'll get the remaining two. Instead, you have benched Vaibhav Sooryavanshi," Srikkanth said in a video on his official YouTube channel.

Why has Srikkanth questioned India's management of Sooryavanshi?

Srikkanth's frustration extended beyond the New Zealand series. He pointed out that Sooryavanshi should have been given opportunities in earlier assignments, including the two-match T20I series against Ireland and the series against the West Indies, where the youngster was not fielded despite the opposition's relatively modest bowling attack. Srikkanth also directed a pointed question at Abhishek Sharma.

"Where should have Vaibhav played? Ideally, those two matches against Ireland. You made a mess of that. And against a weak bowling unit like the West Indies, you didn't play Vaibhav at all," he expressed.

On the subject of Sanju Samson's performances during the West Indies series, Srikkanth acknowledged the wicketkeeper-batter's quality but maintained that the opposition's bowling did not justify keeping Sooryavanshi out.

"Yes, Sanju Samson was outstanding. He was outstanding in the T20 World Cup. No doubt. But, the West Indies bowling that visited India, I would score runs against them at this age. It's a series for improving stats," he added further.

Srikkanth was unequivocal in his view that the management's approach risked damaging Sooryavanshi's confidence. Rather than rotating the teenager out repeatedly, he argued the team should have committed to a clear plan.

"Give him chance and groom him. Instead of encouraging him, you're discouraging that boy. I want to ask why he didn't play the West Indies series. This boy has to play, instead you're completely discouraging that boy. The opposition don't have any clue if Abhishek and Vaibhav open. You saw it in New Zealand," he opined.

Srikkanth wants Sooryavanshi to play in ODIs

Sooryavanshi's credentials at various levels have been hard to ignore. The youngster, born on March 27, 2011, was part of the Indian team that won gold at the 2026 Asian Games. He was also named Player of the Series at the 2026 Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup, held in Namibia and Zimbabwe in January-February 2026.

Later in 2026, he was the leading run-scorer in India's T20I series against Zimbabwe, finishing with 151 runs and again earning the Player of the Series award.

Srikkanth's push for Sooryavanshi goes beyond the T20I format. He has called for the teenager to be considered for India's ODI side as well, citing consistent performances across formats and age groups. He said,

"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is scoring at every level. I want him to be in the ODI team. I believe he should be in the ODI team. He is a boy who is highly talented. In the IPL, he top scored. He has scored runs everywhere," Srikkanth concluded.