Vaibhav Sooryavanshi left out of India XI; Gambhir says 'my job is not to make everyone happy'
On 1 November 2026 India again omitted 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from their playing XI for the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand, a dead rubber with the hosts already holding an unassailable 3-1 lead. The team made two changes for the match, both in the bowling department, but Sooryavanshi was not recalled.
Sooryavanshi featured in only two matches during the series after entering as a potential option at the top of the order; he received opportunities only after Ishan Kishan was sidelined by a groin injury. His first outing produced a single-digit score, while he followed with a 45 in the third T20I, sharing the crease with Abhishek Sharma during India's world-record powerplay partnership. Once Kishan returned to the XI, Sooryavanshi was left out of subsequent matches.
Ahead of the fifth T20I, India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended his selection decisions. "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," Gambhir told the broadcaster ahead of the match.
Gambhir also addressed external pressure on selection choices and the dressing room environment. "It is very easy to take the popular decision. But for me, I think the important thing is to take the right decision and make sure that there is a lot of security inside the dressing room," he added.
On the depth of the Indian pool, Gambhir pointed to the presence of established performers and argued for continuity for those who have delivered over time. "Because, as you just mentioned, there's a lot of talent. But again, I think guys have done phenomenally well over a longer period of time. Obviously, deserve a longer rope. And that is exactly how we approach the series," he said.
India named Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as openers for the series finale, followed by Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), captain Shreyas Iyer and Tilak Varma; Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir completed the batting options. The bowling unit for the match comprised Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy.
With the series already decided, Sooryavanshi's omission renewed questions about how India will allocate opportunities to emerging players in a squad heavy with established international performers; Gambhir reiterated that selection would continue to be guided by what he considers the team's best interests rather than expectations surrounding individual players.
The match in question served as the fifth and final T20I of the series, played with India holding an unassailable 3-1 lead and fielding the XI named above.
