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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made a sensational debut statement in international cricket, registering a stunning 18-ball half-century against Zimbabwe in the first T20I on Thursday. The 15-year-old pacer became the youngest to hit a half-century in his debut T20I after scoring 14, 13 and 15 in his first three T20Is for India.

The sensational hitting also brought back the question of why the teenager was left out of contention for the Test series against England after scoring three consecutive low scores in the T20Is. Former India selector and 1983 World Cup-winning legend Krishnamachari Srikkanth said the decision to leave him out of the fifth T20I was a mistake.

Kris Srikkanth questions Gambhir’s decision after teenage sensation’s heroics

Kris Srikkanth does not hold back while criticizing India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who is currently not present on the Zimbabwe tour, for dropping Sooryavanshi after just three matches.

“His shots are so beautiful, but not a single ball was cross-batted. This lad is something special. How did Gambhir show such ignorance, drop him after three failures to crush his confidence?” Srikkanth questioned on his YouTube channel.

Since Gambhir will not be a part of the series against Zimbabwe, former Indian captain VVS Laxman has been handed over the responsibility to lead the team.

Meanwhile, Kris Srikkanth was all praise for Sooryavanshi for his determination to improve himself. It was reported that young Sooryavanshi decided to work on his batting skills and not take a break after the recent series against England.

“I salute Vaibhav for his determination. He did not go home after the series against England, but joined the Rajasthan Royals camp straight away. He is working hard on his batting against the short ball to show the world that he is special,” he said.

The former opener was ecstatic with the fearless approach of Sooryavanshi after the youngster had faced three failures in his last three international innings.

“The way he scored at such a strike-rate is extraordinary. After three failures, the best a player can do is protect his wicket, take singles and twos. It is understandable that they did not want to lose the strike. But, Vaibhav played with a lot of freedom and did not think about the consequences. He has made scoring fifties in 18 balls a habit now. That is his speciality,” said Srikkanth.