Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has launched a scathing attack on the current team management following India's disastrous T20I campaign in England, questioning their handling of 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi .
What Shastri Said: The Exact Criticism
Shastri, who coached India from 2017 to 2021, did not hold back in his assessment of how the team management treated the young sensation. In a blunt critique, he expressed frustration that Sooryavanshi spent the entire England series warming the bench instead of being given a proper opportunity .
"He should have played in Ireland, where the pitch would have suited him. I'm not sure if he'll play in England, but he deserves a chance soon. He smashed every fast bowler in the IPL, yet he's just sitting on the bench," Shastri said .
The former coach was particularly emphatic about Sooryavanshi's potential impact: "At 15, he's an X-factor with no fear. Even if he bats just 2-3 overs at the top, he can give the team a great start. India should find a place for him in the XI as soon as possible" .
The Broader Criticism: More Than Just One Player
Shastri's comments come amid a wave of criticism directed at head coach Gautam Gambhir's team management, which has been described as the "most confused Indian cricket team management" by former India batter Mohammad Kaif . Kaif specifically pointed to the handling of both Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson as evidence of the management's lack of clarity .
The criticism centres on the team's constant experimentation with the opening combination. One match, Sanju Samson was replaced by Sooryavanshi; the next, Samson was back, leaving both players uncertain about their roles . As Shastri noted, this pattern of chopping and changing does not inspire confidence in young players .
Why This Matters: Context of the England Debacle
The criticism must be understood against the backdrop of India's historic series defeat. England secured their first-ever bilateral men's T20I series win against India, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead after the fourth T20I in Bristol .
India's performance in Bristol was alarming. Batting first, they managed just 158/7, with only captain Shreyas Iyer offering resistance with an unbeaten 80 off 49 balls. England chased down the target in just 13.5 overs, with Harry Brook remaining unbeaten on 79 off 35 balls and Phil Salt scoring 59 off 42 deliveries .
The defeat marked India's fifth straight loss in completed T20Is, following two surprise defeats to Ireland before the England series . Several former cricketers, including R Ashwin, Mohammad Kaif, Parthiv Patel, and Saba Karim, have questioned the team's tactical planning and selection policy .
Technical Failings Behind the Loss
Beyond the selection debates, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar pointed to a fundamental technical flaw in India's batting approach. He dismissed the notion that Indian batters had been "spoiled" by IPL flat pitches, instead identifying a clear technical deficiency against the short ball .
"The way India's batters, who had just finished outstanding IPL campaigns, struggled on tracks offering movement, swing and some extra bounce was concerning. That is more of a technical failing. With the weight on the front foot and the back foot locked, there is simply no transfer of weight to deal with a ball climbing towards the face," Gavaskar explained .
Parthiv Patel echoed similar concerns, emphasising that the problem runs deeper than individual skill: "The way batters are getting out, it's not like there is any doubt about anyone's skill. However, if the ball is not there for the pull shot, you cannot hit it. The question is about the shot selection. It comes down to the planning" .
What India Must Improve
The series defeat has exposed several critical areas requiring urgent attention:
1. Opening Combinations and Role Clarity: The constant shuffling between Samson and Sooryavanshi created uncertainty rather than confidence. The team management must decide on a settled opening pair and back them consistently .
2. Middle-Order Concerns: Tilak Varma's appointment as vice-captain proved questionable given his poor form. He managed just 51 runs across four innings, struggling with a strike rate of 118.60 . The management persisted with him despite his underperformance, suggesting selection decisions were influenced by the vice-captaincy tag rather than current form .
3. Bowling Attack: India's pace bowling appeared toothless. Arshdeep Singh, the team's highest wicket-taker, took just four wickets in four matches while conceding at an economy rate of 9.88 . The spinners—Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi—also failed to make an impact .
4. Over-Reliance on Key Players: Parthiv Patel questioned India's tendency to rely on Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya to rescue the team, a pattern that has persisted for a decade. "We have been saying the same thing for the last 10 years, that everything would be fine once Bumrah and Hardik Pandya come," he said .
5. Long-Term Planning: Gavaskar urged the BCCI to avoid knee-jerk reactions, pointing out that India were World Champions just four months ago and are still ranked No. 2 in the ICC T20I rankings . However, as Saba Karim noted, an honest review of the coaching staff's performance is essential: "After such a disastrous series—a whitewash with huge margins of defeat—no one can abdicate responsibility, not only the support staff, including Head Coach Gautam Gambhir, but also the captain and the vice-captain" .