Former India chairman of selectors and commentator Kris Srikkanth lashed out at the team management, headed by Gautam Gambhir, for not giving teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a single opportunity in the five-match T20I series against the West Indies at home.
Speaking exclusively on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth argued that it would be unfair to the young opener if he is included in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand after being overlooked throughout the West Indies series, considering foreign conditions in New Zealand.
“It was unfair that he (Sooryavanshi) didn’t play at all. He should have played at least two games against this West Indies attack. How you groom him is very important. Now they’ll play him straight in New Zealand, where the conditions won’t be as easy. If he had played in India against the West Indies, he would have smashed it and come into this series with such confidence. The team management and selectors are absolutely destroying him. He’s a sure all-format player,” Srikkanth said.
After playing a pivotal role in India’s U19 World Cup triumph with a Player of the Tournament-winning performance, Sooryavanshi carried his rich vein of form into IPL 2026. He amassed 776 runs at a strike rate of over 237 to clinch the Orange Cap, earning a fast-tracked call-up to India’s T20I squad and making his debut against England in July 2026.
The five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand will begin on Thursday, October 22, with the opening match scheduled to take place in Christchurch. The second T20I will also be played in Christchurch on Saturday, October 24, followed by the third match in Wellington on Tuesday, October 27.
The fourth T20I is set to be held in Auckland on Friday, October 30, while the series will conclude with the fifth and final match in Hamilton on Sunday, November 1.
India T20I Squad vs NZ: Shreyas Iyer [C], Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson [WK], Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan [WK], Tilak Varma [VC], Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav
New Zealand vs India T20I series fixtures
Thursday, October 22 – First T20I, Christchurch
Saturday, October 24 – Second T20I, Christchurch
Tuesday, October 27 – Third T20I, Wellington
Friday, October 30 – Fourth T20I, Auckland
Sunday, November 1 – Fifth T20I, Hamilton
