Cricket

‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait’: Gautam Gambhir makes no guarantees after 15-year-old misses Afghanistan T20Is

September 18, 2026

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has indicated that teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi must patiently await his turn despite an impressive run in Zimbabwe, where the 15-year-old scored 151 runs alongside Abhishek Sharma to earn Player of the Series honors. After both players struggled across three matches during the UK tour—leading to brief exclusions—Sanju Samson returned to form by hitting two half-centuries in India's recent 3-0 sweep against Afghanistan.

Gambhir explained that proven performers with extended track records will continue to be prioritized, calling his earlier decision to omit Samson in England the hardest choice of his coaching tenure.

With Samson and Sharma maintaining the backing of the team hierarchy, Sooryavanshi remained on the sidelines for the entire Afghanistan series and is expected to stay in reserve at the upcoming Asian Games under coach VVS Laxman and captain Shreyas Iyer. Gambhir emphasized that age is irrelevant when vying for national selection, noting that internal competition is vital and promising that the young left-hander will eventually receive an extended run once an opening arises.