Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was shown sitting alone and visibly emotional in the Indian dugout after England completed a 4-0 T20I series win. The footage has circulated widely on social media.
A difficult start
The teenager made his T20I debut in the second match in Manchester, but scored only 14, 13 and 15 in his first three appearances. For the fifth and last T20I, the management left him out and brought back Sanju Samson.
Cameras caught him as his team-mates went back to the dressing room after the usual handshakes. Many online suggested he was upset at being dropped, while others felt he was reacting to the heavy series defeat. The actual reason has not been officially confirmed.
Iyer explains the decision
Captain Shreyas Iyer said at the post-match press conference that the change was purely tactical. India wanted the best combination for the conditions and an extra right-hander alongside Abhishek Sharma because there were too many left-handers in the top order. He called Samson a proven match-winner for India.
Despite the rough introduction, Sooryavanshi is still regarded as one of India’s most exciting young batters. He is expected to learn from the experience as he develops at the top level, and many believe he can return stronger.
