Team India’s latest selection drama has a new voice, and it is not a quiet one. Hours before the fourth T20I against the West Indies, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s childhood coach has fired a public broadside at the team management, accusing head coach Gautam Gambhir and company of running a “dictatorship” while the 15-year-old prodigy keeps warming the bench.
- “Sitting on the bench, no player has ever been made”
- The musical chairs at the top of the order
- Why this row matters
- What happens next
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not playing?
- What did his coach say about Gautam Gambhir?
- When is the next India vs West Indies T20I?
- How has Sooryavanshi performed in T20Is?
The teenager, one of the most talked-about young talents in Indian cricket this year, has sat out all three matches of the five-match series so far. With India leading 2-1 and the fourth game scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, his coach Manish Ojha’s outburst has turned an ordinary selection call into the story of the series.
“Sitting on the bench, no player has ever been made”
Speaking to Sports Now, Ojha did not hold back. He questioned the very idea of developing young players by keeping them in the dressing room, insisting that talent only grows under match pressure.
“This current Indian team management feels that they make players by keeping them on the bench. Sitting on the bench, no player has ever been made, nor will they be,” Ojha said.
The coach warned that the repeated snubs could damage the youngster’s confidence. “When you sit out, then you get a feeling that I have no utility in the team; the kid gets frustrated,” he said, adding that Sooryavanshi had been reduced to “sitting outside and serving water.”
The harshest line came when Ojha described the decision-making culture around the side. “I feel that the management that is here right now is practising a kind of dictatorship where whatever comes to mind, they will do,” he said. His faith in his protege, though, was absolute: “Vaibhav is like a storm. Whoever tries to take him on will eventually break, if not today, then tomorrow.”
The musical chairs at the top of the order
To understand the coach’s frustration, look at the revolving door that has been India’s opening combination over the last few months.
Sooryavanshi, a left-handed opener, made his T20I debut in July 2026 and has played eight T20Is since, scoring 246 runs at a strike rate of 186. During the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where India retained the gold medal, he was promoted to open alongside Abhishek Sharma, with Sanju Samson moved down to number three.
Just when the teenager seemed to have nailed down the role, the West Indies series brought another shuffle. Samson, the 31-year-old veteran, has played all three games as Abhishek’s partner. His returns have been mixed: 11 and 3 in the first and third games, sandwiching a sparkling 82 in the second.
That 82 is presumably the innings keeping Sooryavanshi out of the eleven. But with two of three scores in single digits, the opening slot is far from settled, which is exactly what has left the coach fuming.
Why this row matters
This is not merely a coach venting about his student. It touches a genuine fault line in how Indian cricket handles its next generation.
- The T20 World Cup is on the horizon: India will not want to arrive at a global tournament with untested talent. Every T20I is a chance to blood players like Sooryavanshi in real pressure situations.
- Young players need runs, not nets: Ojha’s core argument finds support among plenty of former cricketers: no amount of net practice replicates a live chase in front of a full house.
- Confidence is fragile at 15: Few teenagers have handled the Indian spotlight gracefully. A long spell on the sidelines sends the wrong message just as the management’s faith should be at its strongest.
The counterargument is the simple arithmetic of winning. India are ahead in the series, Samson’s 82 helped win a game, and coaches are judged on results, not development quotas. Gambhir is not known for bending to outside noise, and Ojha’s choice of words may have made a recall even harder to engineer.
What happens next
All eyes turn to Wednesday’s fourth T20I. A change in the eleven would hand the teenager the stage his coach insists he deserves, and the series situation might actually allow it with India leading 2-1.
But do not bet on it. The management has shown little interest in selection-by-commentary, and Samson remains the incumbent. The next time the playing eleven is read out, though, plenty of people will be listening for one name in particular.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not playing?
The team management has preferred Sanju Samson as Abhishek Sharma’s opening partner for all three T20Is so far, leaving the 15-year-old on the bench throughout the series.
What did his coach say about Gautam Gambhir?
Manish Ojha accused the Gambhir-led management of practising a “dictatorship” in selections, arguing that youngsters develop by playing matches, not by sitting on the bench.
When is the next India vs West Indies T20I?
The fourth T20I of the five-match series is on Wednesday, October 14. India lead the series 2-1.
How has Sooryavanshi performed in T20Is?
Since his July 2026 debut he has played eight T20Is, scoring 246 runs at a strike rate of 186, including a stint as opener during India’s gold-medal campaign at the 2026 Asian Games.
The selection debate rages on. For all the latest on the India vs West Indies T20I series, stay tuned to Informeia.
