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Former Indian captain and ex-chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth has sharply criticized head coach Gautam Gambhir for benching 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the recent T20I series against England.

Srikkanth’s remarks came after Sooryavanshi delivered a sensational response in the first T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare, blasting an 18-ball half-century to become the youngest player in history to score an international T20I fifty.

Speaking on his YouTube channel Cheeky Cheeka, Srikkanth expressed frustration at the management's decision to drop the teenager for the final England T20I after just three single-digit starts (14, 13, and 15):

“He (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) has an effortless range of shots, yet not one shot was cross-batted. This boy is really something special. How did Gautam Gambhir foolishly drop him, of all people, after three failures to crush his confidence?"

"I salute Vaibhav for his dedication. After the England series, he didn't go home and instead went straight to the Rajasthan Royals camp. He has been working on his batting against the short ball because he wants to prove to the whole world that he is special."

The 1983 World Cup winner lauded the young left-hander's work ethic, pointing out that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi immediately joined Rajasthan Royals camp following the UK tour to work on his game against short-pitched bowling.

Srikkanth said, “Where will you find a match-winner like this anywhere in the world? Nobody in the world has or can play like this. He demolished the Zimbabwean attack inside the powerplay itself. Had he got out early, you never know what might have been the outcome of the game despite Zimbabwe's low total. That's the importance of Sooryavanshi's knock.”

The former selector praised the opener for maintaining his aggressive 250+ strike-rate style rather than playing cautiously to secure his spot.

Srikkanth also called on the team management to back Vaibhav with an extended run in the side, recommending that the youngster be given at least 10 consecutive matches without the fear of being dropped. He expressed confidence that such faith would pay off, saying Vaibhav has the ability to single-handedly win four or five games against any opposition.

He signed off by saying, “With time, he'll correct himself and do wonders. And it's not just T20 cricket. He must be one of the candidates for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Even for Test cricket, I'll not write him off.”