India head coach Gautam Gambhir has defended the team management’s selection calls amid growing scrutiny over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s limited opportunities, stating that his job is to take the right decisions rather than the popular ones.
Both Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer have faced questions over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s limited opportunities, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma holding down the opening spots. Speaking to broadcasters ahead of the match, Gambhir was unequivocal. “First of all, my job is not to make everyone happy. My job is to take the right decisions, not the popular decisions. And that is what I’m there for,” he said.
“It is very easy to take the popular decision. But for me, the important thing is to take the right decision and make sure that there is a lot of security inside the dressing room. Because there’s a lot of talent, but guys who have done phenomenally well over a longer period of time obviously deserve a longer rope. And that is exactly how we approach the series.”
On Sunday, New Zealand chased down 192 to win the fifth T20I in Hamilton, clinching the final match and reducing India’s series triumph to a 3-2 margin. India had already sealed the series with three straight wins before suffering an 87-run defeat in Auckland, and New Zealand’s successful chase in the finale exposed further cracks in the visitors’ bowling. Asked before the game how he would keep the players motivated with the series decided, Gambhir dismissed the idea of dead rubbers. “When you’re playing for your country, there is no complacency. You’ve got to remember that it’s an international game. Everyone knows how few privileged players get the opportunity to represent the country. For me, every game is an opportunity to do something different, to learn something, to evolve,” he said.
“There are no dead rubbers in my philosophy, in my ideology, and exactly the same philosophy applies in the room as well.”
Gambhir had also praised the squad’s adaptability given the punishing schedule, with India arriving in New Zealand less than 24 hours after finishing the West Indies series. “It’s been a very short turnaround. We finished off on the 17th, flew on the 18th. We had one practice session. I’ve got to give it to the boys, the way they adapted to the conditions. A lot of boys are coming here for the first time, and we all know how dangerous New Zealand is in their own backyard,” he said.