India head coach Gautam Gambhir has made it clear that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his chance. The 15-year-old did not play a single game in the T20I series against Afghanistan, which India won 3-0. Instead, Sanju Samson kept his place in the team.
Gambhir explained that players with a longer track record will always be ahead. He said Samson and Abhishek Sharma have done well over time. So they are likely to keep their spots for now. He added that Sooryavanshi is very talented and the team knows what he can do. But he needs to be patient. Gambhir said this is how cricket works. Whether a player is 15 or 30, everyone has to wait for their opportunity.
The coach also said that when Sooryavanshi does get a chance, he will be given a longer run. He wants competition in the team. He wants talent in the dressing room. But for now, the experienced players are ahead.
Samson was rested for the Zimbabwe tour. Sooryavanshi opened the batting there and scored 151 runs. He was named Player of the Series. But when Samson came back for the Afghanistan series, Sooryavanshi was benched. Samson made the most of his return. He scored two half-centuries in the series.
Gambhir also spoke about a tough decision he made during the UK tour. He had dropped Samson after three low scores. He called it the toughest decision of his coaching career so far. He said Samson showed his talent by bouncing back. He reminded everyone that Samson was Player of the Tournament at the World Cup. He said players do not become bad after a few failures. He wanted to go back to the combination that won the World Cup.
Gautam Gambhir Explains Hardik Pandya’s India Absence as Nitish Kumar Reddy Gets ODI Opportunity
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has explained why Hardik Pandya is not back in the national team yet. He said Hardik needs to prove his match fitness first. The all-rounder has not played since IPL 2026 and also missed four games in that tournament. Hardik has been named in the India A squad for the one-day matches against Australia A. That will be his first action in months. Gambhir said he does not want to push Hardik into international cricket too soon. International cricket is tough on the body.
In the meantime, Nitish Kumar Reddy has been moved from the Asian Games T20I squad to the ODI squad for the West Indies series. That switch happened on Wednesday. Reddy finished the Afghanistan T20I series as the highest wicket-taker across both teams. He took 3 for 25 in the final match. Overall, he took six wickets at an average of 13.16. His economy was 8.77. That was mainly because he went for 30 runs in two overs in the first game. Gambhir said this is a great chance for Reddy. He will get game time against West Indies.
India have a very busy schedule ahead. Three India teams, two India A teams, and a Rest of India team will be in action. The selectors finalised these squads on September 16. Gambhir admitted it is not ideal while preparing for the ODI World Cup. But he sees the bright side. The Asian Games squad was picked long ago. So the ODI squad against West Indies is missing some regular players. That gives opportunities to young players like Naman Dhir and Auqib Nabi. Ruturaj Gaikwad also gets a chance.
Injuries have also affected the team. Hardik is recovering from back spasms and a leg strain. Harshit Rana missed the Afghanistan T20Is with a hamstring injury. Washington Sundar was in the squad but did not play as he returned from a hamstring injury. Jasprit Bumrah made his comeback after a left-knee injury. Varun Chakravarthy was ruled out after the first T20I with a side strain. He has also been removed from the Asian Games squad.
Gambhir said the situation is inconvenient. He wants the best players to play as much as possible in Tests and ODIs, especially with the World Cup coming. He also said it is not fair on young captain Shubman Gill if he does not get the best team regularly. Gambhir said he can take criticism, but Gill needs the best XI as often as possible.
VVS Laxman has been appointed as India’s head coach for the Asian Games. Gambhir will stay with the ODI side for the three-match series against West Indies from September 27 to October 3. He will also be with the team for the five T20Is against West Indies, starting October 6.
FAQs
Q. Why did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not play against Afghanistan?
A. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma were ahead of him.
Q. How many runs did Vaibhav score on the Zimbabwe tour?
A. Vaibhav scored 151 runs and won Player of the Series.
Q. Why is Hardik Pandya not playing for India yet?
A. Hardik needs to prove his match fitness first.
Q. How did Nitish Kumar Reddy perform against Afghanistan?
A. Reddy took six wickets in the three-match series.
Q. When will India play their ODI series against West Indies?
A. The three-match ODI series starts on September 27.
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