Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has launched a scathing attack on skipper Shreyas Iyer and the team management for their treatment of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the senior national side’s recently concluded tour of the United Kingdom. Srikkanth strongly criticised Iyer for defending the decision to drop the 15-year-old prodigy for the final T20I against England in Southampton.
Speaking on his YouTube show, the former chief selector expressed deep disappointment with Iyer’s remarks at the toss ahead of the match, where India suffered a 56-run defeat to hand England a 4-0 series sweep.
Srikkanth took particular exception to Iyer’s justification for dropping the Bihar left-hander-who recently became India’s youngest-ever international debutant at 15 years and 99 days old-in favour of a returning Sanju Samson.
Explaining the team selection at the toss, Iyer had stated: “I feel this is the time we need to try what’s the best going forward for us as a team. So based on that, we decided this.”
The decision failed to yield dividends as India’s bowlers were dismantled, conceding a massive 257 runs following a spectacular 131 from England captain Jos Buttler. In reply, Samson, who had been dropped three matches earlier in the series, struck a 14-ball 27 but failed to capitalise on his start during the daunting run chase.
“I was so upset with the interview after the toss,” Srikkanth said.
“This is not the way to talk. How you are treating your players, how you are forming a young team is important. If this is the way forward, the way forward is to change everybody (leadership group). He said we want to take the best way forward. If you are willing to drop players based on their performance, the same yardstick should apply to Gautam Gambhir, the same yardstick should apply to the captain also. You are saying the players are not performing, what has been your performance?
“What wrong did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi do? Is this how you groom young players?”
Sooryavanshi was fast-tracked into the national side following a historic IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, where he became the league’s youngest-ever Orange Cap winner after smashing 776 runs. Having sat out the opening fixtures, he was handed his cap in Manchester, making three appearances across the series. While the teenager showed flashes of his explosive talent, he struggled to replicate his domestic dominance, registering scores of 14, 13, and 15, and falling to England paceman Jofra Archer twice in three innings.
WHAT SRIKKANTH TOLD A 16-YEAR-OLD SACHIN
Srikkanth fiercely defended the youngster, drawing a direct parallel to his own tenure as India captain in 1989, when he handed a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar his international debut on a notoriously hostile tour of Pakistan.
“Shreyas Iyer said at the toss ‘we want to get back to the best way possible’. Is this your best way forward? What is this interview? If you thought Sanju Samson was the best fit, then you should have continued with him. Why bring in Vaibhav and then drop him? Why spoil his future? You are all ruining his confidence. When Sachin Tendulkar made his debut at 16, i went up and told him ‘you won’t be dropped in this tour. You play fearlessly’.
“Should Gambhir and Shreyas not give Sooryavanshi that kind of confidence? It’s not fair. I am very upset with the way they are treating Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.”
The selection dilemma highlighted a chaotic tour for India, who returned from the British Isles without a single victory after suffering a 0-2 defeat in Ireland followed by the 0-4 whitewash in England. The team management has drawn heavy criticism for constantly shuffling resources at the top of the order. Samson, despite being named Player of the Tournament at the recent T20 World Cup, was discarded after just three matches, while Sooryavanshi was denied a prolonged run after his high-profile debut at Old Trafford.
Compounding the selection confusion, selectors have completely omitted Samson from the upcoming three-match T20I tour of Zimbabwe later this month, opting for Prabhsimran Singh as the reserve wicketkeeper.
While the rest of the batting core remains unchanged, with Sooryavanshi retaining his place in the squad, the erratic handling of Samson has triggered widespread concerns over the lack of structural consistency within the current leadership group.
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