![Gautam Gambhir, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Rohit Sharma [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1782728088815_GautamGambhir (1).jpg)
Gautam Gambhir, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Rohit Sharma [Source: AFP]
Former India cricketer and Gautam Gambhir’s former teammate Mohammad Kaif has strongly questioned the Indian team management after the team's disappointing 2-0 T20I series loss to Ireland.
Kaif criticised Gautam Gambhir for not giving young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a chance, while continuing with the same players who won the T20 World Cup 2026.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Misses Out His India Debut Against Ireland
Notably, the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi once again missed out in the second T20I, even though Suryansh Shedge and Prince Yadav were handed their T20I debuts.
Before the Ireland T20I series began, the team management had made it clear that Sooryavanshi would have to wait, as they wanted to continue with the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
However, that decision did not work out as planned. Both Samson and Abhishek struggled with the bat in the two T20I matches played in challenging conditions, leading to fresh debates over whether the current opening pair should continue.
Mohammad Kaif Brings Up Rohit Sharma And Suryakumar Yadav
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif questioned the logic behind the Gautam Gambhir’s decision for not giving chance to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
"If we talk about the best playing XI, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi deserved a place. The reason given was that this was the World Cup-winning team, so they wanted to continue with the same XI and Sooryavanshi would have to wait," Kaif said.
He further added that if the management wanted to stick with World Cup-winning players, then the same rule should have applied in other situations as well.
"But you have to be consistent with that logic. When Rohit Sharma was removed as captain after winning the Champions Trophy, everyone was told that the team was looking towards the future and wanted a young captain," Kaif added.
For those unaware, Rohit Sharma stepped down after leading India to the Champions Trophy 2025 title against New Zealand. Despite winning the tournament, Shubman Gill was later appointed ODI captain as part of the team's long-term plans.
Kaif also mentioned Suryakumar Yadav, who was removed as India's T20I captain after leading the side to the T20 World Cup 2026 title against New Zealand.
The BCCI later named Shreyas Iyer as the new T20I captain, once again saying the decision was made with the future in mind.
"Same with Suryakumar Yadav. He also won the World Cup but was replaced because they wanted to build for the future. If that is the case, then why not give a chance to a 15-year-old like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who represents the future?" Kaif questioned.
India Under Pressure After Historic Ireland Defeat
India's decision to continue with almost the same World Cup-winning playing XI did not produce the desired results.
In the opening T20I, Ireland registered their first-ever T20I victory over India after losing the previous nine meetings. They bowled out Men in Blue for just 148 and secured a comfortable 34-run win.
Just two days later, Ireland completed a memorable 2-0 series sweep by defeating India by just one run on June 28. Notably, it turned out to be one of the biggest series wins in Irish cricket history.
With pressure now mounting on the Indian T20I side, captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir will be hoping for a strong comeback when India begin their T20I series against England on July 1.
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