Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has strongly criticised the Indian team management over its handling of teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the recent T20I assignments against Ireland and England, questioning both the selection decisions and the messaging from the leadership.
The 15-year-old did not feature in a single match during the Ireland series and, after playing three matches against England, was left out of the side. Srikkanth reserved particular criticism for skipper Shreyas Iyer, taking issue with his explanation for the decision at the toss before the fifth T20I.
"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."
Reacting on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said he was deeply dissatisfied with Iyer's remarks, arguing that such an approach sends the wrong message to young cricketers.
"I was so upset with the interview after the toss," Srikkanth said on YouTube.
"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 (the 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?"
He also questioned the rationale behind leaving out the youngster after giving him opportunities earlier in the series.
"What wrong did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi do? Is this how you groom young players?"
Drawing on his own experience as India's captain, Srikkanth recalled handing a debut to a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar during the tour of Pakistan, saying young talents need reassurance rather than uncertainty.
"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'."
Srikkanth said the current leadership should have shown the same faith in Sooryavanshi, expressing disappointment over how the teenager has been managed.
"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."
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