Sooryavanshi, who won the ‘Player of the Series’ award in T20I series against Zimbabwe, has been selected for the Asian Games 2026 campaign in Japan as well but Samson and Abhishek Sharma are set to be the first-choice openers there as well. Head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke to the media after India’s massive 127-run win in the third T20I match to complete a 3-0 whitewash against Afghanistan and spoke about Sooryavanshi’s future.
“From Vaibhav’s point of view, it was a very clear conversation that he will have to wait for his opportunity. We know the kind of talent he has and what he can do, but someone who has been performing for the last 2-3 years will always be ahead of someone who has just entered the team. Whenever he gets his run, he will get a longer run as well,” Gambhir told the media at the post-match press conference in New Delhi on Thursday.
“That is what Indian cricket is all about-we want competition and talent in the dressing room, but that’s how cricket goes. Whether you’re a 15-year-old or a 30-year-old, when you have to wait for your opportunity, you have to wait for your opportunity,” the head coach added.
Gambhir backed Chennai Super Kings star Samson’s selection, saying the wicketkeeper-batter’s talent and past performances warranted his place in the dressing room. Samson scored 50 in the series-deciding match after scoring 57 in the second T20I on Tuesday.
“I think his (Samson’s) talent itself is enough for him to be in the dressing room. I think he’s shown what he’s capable of. Someone doesn’t become a Player of the Tournament in a World Cup without having that talent. So he’s done enough. Obviously, it was tough-probably the toughest decision I’ve taken in my coaching tenure was leaving him out in that England series, considering how he performed prior to that,” Gambhir said about Sanju Samson.
Gambhir said India had been keen to return to the combination that won the T20 World Cup 2026, adding that a few failures did not make established players bad. “But again, sometimes you go with player form as well. In this series, we were always very clear from my point of view that we wanted to go back to the combination we had during the World Cup. Because those guys, after three or four failures, do not become bad players,” he said.
“The cricket we’ve played-if a team has gone unbeaten from one World Cup to another and won the World Cup, I’m sure it’s a gun team. Suddenly, it doesn’t become a bad team after one or two series, and these guys do not become bad players after two or three failures. That is what these guys have shown here as well,” he added.
Auqib Nabi, Naman Dhir can show what they bring to white-ball format: Gautam Gambhir
Speaking about India’s ODI squad for the upcoming home series against West Indies, Gambhir acknowledged that the Asian Games 2026 schedule had affected selection, but said it would provide opportunities to emerging players, including Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi and Punjab batter Naman Dhir. India are set to host West Indies for a three-match ODI series starting September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram.
“We know that it’s not ideal when you’re preparing for a World Cup which is in a year’s time. But again, the Asian Games squad was selected long back, and sometimes it’s difficult for the selectors when they have to put the best squad in place. So, we always knew that if the best team goes-or the frontline players go to the Asian Games-we will probably have to compromise a bit in this ODI series against the West Indies,” said Gambhir.
“But again, it gives other players opportunities as well. In a series like this, you’ve got young guys like Naman Dhir and Auqib getting opportunities in the squad, so they can show what they bring in the white-ball format. Obviously, the bigger the pool, the better it is for us. We have this opportunity in the next three ODI games. Normally, when all players are available, sometimes players might not get that chance, but now with guys like Auqib and Naman, they will get their opportunities. So from one end it’s good, but on the other side, obviously we want the best players as well,” he added.