Srikkanth Slams Team Management Over Sooryavanshi Benching

Former India captain and ex-selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth has criticised head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team management for leaving young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the final two T20Is against New Zealand, saying the chopping and changing creates an atmosphere of insecurity for the players.

Sooryavanshi smashed 45 off 19 balls in the third T20I in Wellington, but sat out the last two matches after Ishan Kishan returned from injury, even though India lost both games and still won the five-match series 3-2.

The youngster had got his chance only because Kishan was injured.

Srikkanth said the teenager should have been given a regular run to grow after proving himself in New Zealand conditions, and he made it clear he is not asking for Sanju Samson to be dropped altogether.

Instead, he wants the three openers rotated fairly, with Samson given a break at times.

He also pointed to Samson having scored only 160 runs in his last 13 matches outside India, with just one fifty in that run.

This is a personal view, not a team decision, and the final team for the ODI series starting on 4 November will only be known at the toss.