Gambhir says Sooryavanshi must wait for T20I chance

India head coach Gautam Gambhir said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was left out of the recent Afghanistan T20I series to preserve the team’s established opening combination, despite the 15-year-old batter’s strong form. Gambhir said he had spoken with Sooryavanshi and explained that he may have to wait for an opportunity while players with a longer record retain their places. Gambhir’s explanation centers on Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, whom he described as a combination India has relied on for roughly 18 months to two years. Including Sooryavanshi, he said, would mean leaving out one of the two openers. Gambhir argued that dropping either after a short run of failures would disregard their longer contribution and undermine continuity within the team. The coach said selection is based on what he and the captain believe gives India the best playing XI, rather than social media discussion or outside pressure. He acknowledged that keeping a young player in good form out of the side can be difficult, but said established players should not automatically lose their places after a few poor performances.