Even though India has a lot of depth in their T20 batting, Krishnamachari Srikkanth thinks it is as important as the talent, as they play out their options.
In his latest criticism, he is on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has become a favourite of coach Rahane augere to join the international squad in India amid the scrum.In his latest critique, he’s on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the young batsman who is getting the attention of coach Rahane in India amid the scrum. Srikkanth feels the team management has treated the teenager not well enough and the continuity might affect a player’s confidence before he had got his feet firmly on the ground.
The former World Cup winner also lashed out at how Sanju Samson is being treated. Speaking on YouTube, he questioned management’s approach and recommended that India could play Samson and Sooryavanshi as the openers in an upcoming match to see how it goes.
This would be a shift in India’s priorities for the match. The team may want to take the opportunity to see if two other options can work together.
It’s a serious competition. Abhishek Sharma, Samson and Ishan Kishan are all known for their aggressive approach when it comes to bat at the start of an innings in the IPL. Sooryavanshi, on the other hand, is still working on his international career and is looking for chances to prove that his domestic and franchise performances will hold up at the big leagues.
He has had mixed performance in his opening T20Is. He had a better run on the Zimbabwe tour, with 50, 20 and 81 offside against England, after a difficult run with 14, 13 and 15. The point Srikkanth is making is that evaluating such a player without taking into account the value of continuity is not the way to go.
With Samson’s case, it’s a different calculation. His World Cup 2026 team selection proved his mettle but lately, he has not been as convincing. That was an inconsistency that Srikkanth called “a thing that happens again and again” in Samson’s story, while Abhishek’s is “consistent”.
The big one is how India will utilise their depth. To help the selectors get information on different combinations, it may be necessary to rotate players, but too many changes may cause a lack of clarity among players regarding their role in the team. Holding on to the same players indefinitely, however, may limit opportunities for new contenders.
Srikkanth has been very effective in demanding a more definite decision from the management about priorities. If Sooryavanshi is part of India’s future plans, then the selectors have to find out whether they want to give him a decent opportunity to showcase his talent or just a couple of chances.
The next Team to be picked will give an idea about how the Management plans to deal with that competition in India. The choice will not just impact the first match-up, but also the chance that a young batsman has to carve out a niche in the international arena.
