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Former India cricketer Madan Lal admitted that he was surprised by India’s poor performance in the recent T20 series in Ireland and England. He also criticized the blind criticism of youngsters Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma in the ongoing five-match T20 series in England.
Madan Lal believes that there is a huge difference between IPL and international cricket. Attacking Vaibhav, he stressed that performing in the IPL does not automatically guarantee success at the highest level as international cricket is far more challenging. Recently, WV Raman broke his silence on Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s poor form ahead of the 5th IND vs ENG T20I.
Madan Lal criticized Team India after T20I defeat, raised questions on big selection calls
Recently, Madan Lal questioned why proven international players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant were left out despite proving themselves in overseas conditions. He even criticized the selectors for destroying a team that has won matches in this format.
“I am definitely surprised. We have played very poor cricket and lost five matches. We should have won against Ireland. There is a huge difference between the IPL and international cricket and it takes time to establish yourself at the international level,” Madan Lal was quoted as saying by PTI.
Players who performed well abroad like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant are not part of this team. It is very difficult to build a team, but very easy to destroy it.”
Talent alone is not enough: Madan Lal’s reality check for Vaibhav Suryavanshi
The former Indian cricketer further stressed that Vaibhav Suryavanshi should not be judged so quickly. He believes that Vaibhav deserves more opportunities because he has the talent, but at the same time, he needs to learn to build an innings rather than trying to attack every ball.
The former Indian team manager has also said that coaches cannot completely change a player’s natural game. In a bold and strong message to Vaibhav, Lal said that every batsman has to learn from experience and understand when to attack and when to defend.
He explained, “You have the talent, and that’s why you have been given that big spot (replacing Sanju Samson), so it is your duty to perform. However, he is a young player, and we should give him more matches. He will get experience. But he has to figure out his own game and manage his game.”
Video | Former India cricketer and member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, Madan Lal, on India’s T20 series loss to England and the start of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s international career, said, “I am definitely surprised. We played very poor cricket and lost five matches. We… pic.twitter.com/nSPaMJax42
– Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 10, 2026
He can’t hit every ball. Situations are different. Even the standards differ. You have to manage your game. You can play 2-3 more matches because of your talent, but at the end of the day you have to perform. We need a good player to win the match. You must manage your game. You have to go and manage at that level.”
Madan Lal criticized the careless attitude of Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Suryavanshi
The former World Cup winner also pointed out that both Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Suryavanshi are trying to attack every ball, which has hurt India in English conditions. Meanwhile, Bizarre! India is stuck in a jam due to the delayed start of the fifth T20 match in England.
He explained that T20 cricket is a 20-over game, not a six-over contest, and a batsman cannot hit a four or a six on every ball. He stressed that young batsmen need to understand match situations, respect the conditions and learn to manage their game and batting.
Lal further said, “Both Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit every ball. They hit every ball. The conditions are different. At that level, you cannot afford to hit every ball. Club cricket is different from international cricket.”
“It is not a six-over match, but a 20-over game. You have to manage your innings well. They should not hit every ball. They should not slog every ball. They should stop slogging.”
Madan Lal raised questions on Sanju Samson’s exclusion, supported Shreyas Iyer
Talking about captain Shreyas Iyer, Madan Lal said that the new captain is performing well both as captain and batsman but the Indian team is not supporting him at all.
He also criticized the decision to drop Sanju Samson from the playing eleven due to external pressure and publicity regarding Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He acknowledged Vaibhav’s immense talent, but believed that the youngster should have waited for the right opportunity rather than joining the team at the expense of the experienced batsman.
