Call based on merit': Sanjay Manjrekar backs Gautam Gambhir after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses India debut vs IRE 1st T20I
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Call based on merit': Sanjay Manjrekar backs Gautam Gambhir after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses India debut vs IRE 1st T20I originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Sanjay Manjrekar backed India's decision to leave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the 1st T20I against Ireland.
- He called it a "call based on merit" and praised the focus on cricketing form over hype.
- The 15-year-old can wait his turn unless a place opens in the XI, Manjrekar said.
Sanjay Manjrekar backs Gautam Gambhir after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses India debut
Sanjay Manjrekar has thrown his weight behind Gautam Gambhir and the India team management after 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was left out of the playing XI for the first T20I against Ireland in Belfast.
The former Indian batter is part of Sony Network's commentary and analysis panel during the India vs Ireland T20I series. He described the call as purely cricketing, merit-based, and the right message to send.
Sooryavanshi had been widely expected to become India's youngest-ever international debutant, but the team opted to retain their in-form top order of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan. Captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed at the toss that the teenager would have to wait for his opportunity.
For Manjrekar, the decision reflected a healthy selection philosophy under Gambhir, one that prioritizes the players delivering results over the excitement generated by a young prodigy, however special his talent may be.
Manjrekar says Sooryavanshi omission based on merit
Manjrekar argued that India was right not to disturb a settled and successful unit simply to satisfy the clamor around Sooryavanshi, framing it as the correct approach for the team's culture.
"It's a call based on merit. You can't drop the other guys just because we are excited about the young boy. So India is doing the right thing, and that's the right message," Manjrekar said.
He pointed to the bold decision to replace World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav as evidence that India was now consistently prioritising form and substance over reputation or hype.
"They have dropped a T20 World Cup-winning captain in SKY, so India is now focused on cricketing merit, which should be the case always," he said.
To Manjrekar, India is doing the right thing because while giving a debut to a promising youngster is important, veterans shouldn't be snubbed in the process if they are playing well enough.
"I am glad they haven't got carried away with excitement around the young kid. He can wait his turn, and he's got time unless there's a place for him in the playing XI," Manjrekar added.
MORE: Langer reveals why he asked Sooryavanshi for only his second-ever selfie
Gambhir's team-first philosophy
The decision aligns with the clear philosophy Gambhir has instilled since taking over as head coach, putting the team ahead of individual storylines. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had echoed that stance in the build-up, stressing that dropping a run-scorer for Sooryavanshi would be unfair.
"I don't think that just to give him an opportunity, we should drop someone who has already been scoring runs. That also won't be right. I think there is a very thin line between trying to give somebody an opportunity and being unfair to some other player," Kotak said in the pre-match press conference.
With the in-form top three locked in, the most logical window for Sooryavanshi's debut remains the second T20I against Ireland in Belfast on June 28, particularly if India rotates their squad. The subsequent series against England may favor a more experienced lineup. For now, the message from the camp is consistent and clear.
Sooryavanshi's talent is not in doubt, but his international career will begin on the foundation of genuine merit rather than viral hype, a stance Manjrekar believes is exactly the right one for Indian cricket.
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