5th T20I: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi benched. Gambhir says his job is not to make everyone happy

Indian cricket coach Gautam Gambhir defended his decision to bench 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the final T20I against New Zealand. Gambhir emphasized that his priority is making the right strategic decisions for the team rather than seeking popularity.
Why it matters
The selection process for national sports teams often sparks public debate, and this highlights the tension between developing young talent and maintaining team consistency.
India once again left out Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from their playing XI for the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand, despite the series being a dead rubber with the hosts already holding an unassailable 3-1 lead. The 15-year-old batter, who featured in only two matches during the series, was overlooked again as India opted to stick with their established batting combination.India made two changes to their playing XI for the final T20I, both in the bowling department, but did not hand Sooryavanshi another opportunity. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, speaking ahead of the match, defended his selection calls and said his responsibility was to make the right decisions rather than popular ones."First of all, my job is not to make everyone happy. My job is to take the right decisions, not the popular decisions.
Headlinne story · 4 newsrooms
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