Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his opportunity: Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his opportunity to be back in the Indian T20I team. Sooryavanshi wasn't used for a single game during the series against Afghanistan.Sooryavanshi wasn't used during any of the matches against Afghanistan (Courtesy: PTI)India coach Gautam Gambhir had a simple reason when it came to his reasoning behind not giving Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a single game during the series against Afghanistan. Gambhir said that the prodigy will have to wait for his opportunity to be back in the playing XI of the India T20I side.Sooryavanshi came into the series on the back of red-hot form as he was Player Of The Series during the Zimbabwe tour, scoring 151 runs at a stunning strike rate of 196.10. Yet, once Sanju Samson was back in the squad, Sooryavanshi was forced to sit out, much to the displeasure of the fans.Despite the series being done before the match on Thursday, September 17, Sooryavanshi wasn't picked again as Samson played the series finale.IND vs AFG, 3rd T20I: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD WHY SAMSON OVER SOORYAVANSHI?Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gambhir said that Samson had shown what he was capable of over the past few years for India. The India coach pointed out to the England series when he dropped Samson for Sooryavanshi and said it was the toughest call he had to make in his coaching career.But Gambhir said that the idea was always to go back to the combination that helped them win the T20 World Cup. "I think Samson showed what he is capable of. Someone doesn't become Player Of The Tournament in the World Cup without having talent, so he has done enough. Obviously, it was tough- probably the toughest decision I have taken in my coaching career, was leaving him out of that England series because of the way he had performed before that," said Gambhir."But again, sometimes you go with the players form as well. From my point of view, I wanted to go back to the combination we had during the World Cup, because those guys after three or four failures, don't become bad players. If a team that has gone from one World Cup to another one unbeaten and has won the World Cup. Suddenly, it has become a team after one series and these guys not become bad players."To Samson's credit, the wicketkeeper scored two fifties during the series against Afghanistan and ended with 117 runs to his name from three matches.'SOORYAVANSHI NEEDS TO WAIT'When it came to Sooryavanshi, Gambhir said that the talent is never in doubt but Samson was always going to be preferred ahead of him.Gambhir assured that when Sooryavanshi finally gets his chance, he will be given a longer run in the side. But for the moment, it is going to be a game of patience for the 15-year-old."From Vaibhav's point of view, it is again a very clear conversation that he has to wait for his opportunity. We know the kind of talent he has. We know what he can do. But again, someone who done extremely well over a period of years obviously will always be ahead of someone who has got into the team. Whenever he gets that chance, you will get a longer run as well," said Gambhir."And that is what Indian cricket is all about. We want competition, we want that talent in the dressing room. But sometimes that's how cricket goes. Whether it is a 15-year-old or a 30-year-old, you have to wait for opportunity."Fans will be hoping that they will get to see Sooryavanshi in action during the Japan T20I or the Asian Games.- EndsPublished On: Sep 18, 2026 00:53 IST