Vaibhav Suryavanshi answered his critics in the best way by playing a record-breaking innings in the first match of the three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe in Harare. After being dropped from India’s playing XI after some poor performances in England, Vaibhav Suryavanshi made a sensational comeback and helped India defeat Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the first T20I on July 23.
The teenage batsman scored his maiden international half-century in just 18 balls and became the youngest player to score a half-century in T20I cricket at the age of 15 years and 118 days. After his fearless performance, Kris Srikkanth strongly criticized Gautam Gambhir on the England tour. Earlier, Sunil Joshi praised Vaibhav Suryavanshi ahead of the second T20 match against Zimbabwe.
Chris Srikkanth criticizes Gautam Gambhir regarding Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Kris Srikkanth felt it was really unfair to leave out Vaibhav Suryavanshi from the playing eleven after his three failures in England. He even called Gautam Gambhir a “fool” for crushing the 15-year-old batsman’s confidence. However, Srikkanth praised Vaibhav’s hard work after the England tour.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth said, “He has an effortless range of shots, yet not a single shot was cross-batted. This guy is truly something special. How could Gautam Gambhir, of all people, foolishly drop him after three failures to crush his confidence?”
I salute Vaibhav for his dedication. After the England series, he did not go home and went straight to the Rajasthan Royals camp. He is working on his batting against the short ball because he wants to prove to the whole world that he is special.
Kris Srikkanth makes big claim of ‘no one in the world’ for Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Srikkanth was impressed by the way Vaibhav attacked right from the start without worrying about his place in the team. Meanwhile, Raj Kundra filed a petition against Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale, accusing him of financial mismanagement.
He said most young players become cautious after a few failures, but Vaibhav continued to play fearless cricket with a strike rate of around 250 and “that’s his greatness.”
The former Indian chief selector further added, “Where will you find a match-winner like this anywhere in the world? There is no one in the world who is like that or can play like this. He demolished the Zimbabwe attack right inside the powerplay. If he had got out early, you never know what would have been the outcome of the game despite Zimbabwe’s low score. That is the significance of Suryavanshi’s innings.”
Kris Srikkanth demands 10-match guarantee for Vaibhav Suryavanshi, supports 2027 World Cup spot
The 1983 World Cup winner urged the team management to give Vaibhav 10 consecutive matches without dropping him and said that the youngster can win four or five matches against anyone on his own. Srikkanth said that Vaibhav is a rare match-winner and backed him to become a player across all formats for India soon.
He also demanded a place for the left-handed batsman in India’s 2027 ODI World Cup plans. Vaibhav will next be seen in action on Saturday, July 25, when India take on Zimbabwe in the second T20I in Harare, where they will aim to clinch the series.
“With time, he will improve himself and do wonders. And it’s not just T20 cricket. He should be one of the candidates for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Even for Test cricket, I wouldn’t rule him out,” Srikkanth said.