Former India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik believes there is “conflict and friction” between head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar over the direction of India’s T20I team whitewash against Ireland and England.
Speaking on Sky Sports while analyzing India’s selection decisions, Dinesh Karthik suggested the differences between the head coach and the selection committee have become visible in the way young players and senior cricketers have been managed. His remarks come after India’s experimental approach ended in successive T20I series defeats against Ireland and England, with the handling of Sanju Samson and teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi emerging as one of the biggest talking points.
“So there is a conflict and friction between the two” – Dinesh Karthik on Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi-Sanju Samson saga
Dinesh Karthik questioned India’s handling of both Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying the team management failed to communicate a clear plan before making repeated changes to the playing XI.
The former India batsman felt that if the management had already decided to invest in Sooryavanshi, they should have introduced him during the Ireland series rather than dropping Samson after just one match against England.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Dinesh Karthik said: “India definitely got this part wrong. If they were so much in favor of Sooryavanshi, Ireland would have been the ideal place to start.”
Dinesh Karthik then suggested that differing priorities between Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar could be behind the confusing selection calls.
“The key is communication and that feels like it’s missing. It also feels like the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, has his eyes on the future and wants to see the group of players around. However, Gambhir, who is in the hot seat, will want to win every bilateral series because his name is on the line. So there is a conflict and friction between the two on how to move about this.”
Meanwhile, a recent report has suggested that All is not well between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir as they shared no conversation at nets.
The Vaibhav Sooryavanshi-Sanju Samson saga explained
The Sanju Samson-Vaibhav Sooryavanshi selection debate became one of the defining stories of India’s back-to-back T20I series against Ireland and England.
Samson began the UK tour as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-opener after winning the Player of the Tournament award at the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, a poor run of form saw him score just six runs across three innings before the team management opted to replace him with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the second T20I against England.
The teenager’s introduction generated significant excitement, but the move did not deliver immediate success. Sooryavanshi featured in the next three matches but managed only 42 runs, with scores of 14, 13 and 15 as India continued to struggle with the bat and eventually lost the series.
Ahead of the fifth and final T20I in Southampton, the management reversed its decision. Sooryavanshi was left out after just three matches, while Samson returned to the XI. The Kerala batsman responded with 27 runs on his comeback, but the frequent changes had already sparked widespread criticism.
Several former cricketers questioned the selection strategy. Sanjay Manjrekar described Samson’s omission as “bizarre”, while Mohammed Kaif and former chief selector MSK Prasad argued that neither Samson nor Sooryavanshi had been given a long enough run to settle into the side.
Nasser Hussain reveals public pressure aspect in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi-Sanju Samson drama
Former England captain Nasser Hussain also criticized the way India handled the two batters, suggesting public demand to see the teenage sensation may have influenced the selection process.
Hussain felt the constant chopping and changing damaged the confidence of both Samson and Sooryavanshi instead of helping either player establish themselves in international cricket.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Hussain said: “They played Sooryavanshi after one innings for Sanju in England. It was because of the public pressure that this young lad must play. By doing it that way, you are destroying the confidence of Sanju Samson. You left out the World Cup Player of the Tournament and someone who smashed England around Mumbai.”
“They then left Vaibhav out three games later and they are now destroying his confidence as well. So both these players are now sitting back doubting where their games are at.”
Nasser Hussain’s assessment echoed the concerns raised by Dinesh Karthik and several other former players, who believe India’s selection decisions lacked consistency and clarity during the two T20I series.