Sports

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; September 24: Gautam Gambhir has taken several difficult decisions since becoming head coach of the Indian cricket team. While his role has often been linked to major changes involving senior players, Gambhir has revealed that one particular selection decision left him unable to sleep at night. The player at the centre of that dilemma was 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

In an interview with JioStar, Gambhir recalled the difficult decision to include Vaibhav in India’s T20I squad in place of Sanju Samson. According to the India head coach, it was the toughest call of his coaching career so far.

Gambhir said there was one night during his two-year coaching stint when he could not sleep because of the decision. He explained that leaving out Samson was particularly difficult because the wicketkeeper-batter had played a crucial role in India’s World Cup triumph and had been named the tournament’s best player.

“In my two-year coaching career, there was one night when I could not sleep. The decision to leave out Sanju was the toughest decision of my life. He had won the World Cup for us. Dropping the player of the World Cup for three or four matches was not an easy decision. But considering the form Vaibhav was in, we had to give him an opportunity,” Gambhir said.

The coach revealed that he spoke at length with Samson before making the decision. Gambhir said he explained why Vaibhav was being given an opportunity and why he wanted to create greater flexibility in the opening combination.

“I spoke to Sanju for a long time. I explained to him why we were giving Vaibhav an opportunity. Considering the form Vaibhav was in, I wanted to give him the opportunity and have more options at the top of the order. Sanju understood what I was saying,” Gambhir said.

The situation was later reversed during the Afghanistan series, when Samson featured in all three matches while Vaibhav had to sit out. Gambhir said the same principle was explained to Vaibhav as well. According to the coach, selection decisions are not based simply on who is scoring runs at a particular moment.

“I told Vaibhav that you may be scoring runs, but sometimes you have to give an opportunity to someone who has been performing well for a long time. You have to wait for your opportunity. Social media or people outside the team will not decide who plays,” Gambhir said.

Gambhir’s comments underline the selection philosophy he says he is trying to follow within the Indian team. Rather than treating a single player’s position as permanent, he wants both Samson and Vaibhav to remain prepared for opportunities depending on the opposition, conditions and requirements of a particular match.

The India coach has also indicated that the team is being built with longer-term goals in mind. The 2028 Olympic Games and the next T20 World Cup are among the milestones being considered as India plans its future T20 structure.

With that in mind, Gambhir wants to maintain multiple options at the top of the batting order. The competition between experienced players such as Samson and emerging talents such as Vaibhav is therefore expected to remain part of India’s selection discussions.

For Gambhir, the decision involving Vaibhav was not simply about dropping an established player or promoting a teenager. It was about balancing current form, past performances and the team’s future requirements. His revelation that the decision kept him awake highlights the difficult choices involved in managing a national side with several competing options.