Gautam Gambhir defends dropping Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from T20I squad

India head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed criticism over dropping 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the fourth and fifth T20Is against New Zealand. Gambhir emphasized his duty to make the right decisions for team performance rather than appeasing fans. Sooryavanshi had previously scored 4 and 45 runs in two matches but missed subsequent games as Ishan Kishan returned from injury. Critics pointed out the inconsistency of replacing Sooryavanshi after a strong performance. Gambhir reiterated the importance of a stable dressing room and the need for players with proven long-term records to maintain their spots. He defended the selection process in light of social media scrutiny.

• 7:27 AMYahoo Sports — 'Can't make everyone happy': Gautam Gambhir issues blunt response to criticism over dropping Vaibhav Sooryavanshi