'Absolutely ridiculous selection decision': Gautam Gambhir slammed for benching Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in India's dead rubber 4th T20I vs NZ

'Absolutely ridiculous selection decision': Gautam Gambhir slammed for benching Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in India's dead rubber 4th T20I vs NZ originally appeared on Cricket News . Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . KEY TAKEAWAYS: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dropped for the fourth T20I against New Zealand despite scoring 45 off 19 balls. Ishan Kishan returned from injury and fell for a duck as India chased 260. Fans on social media criticised Gautam Gambhir for the selection in a dead rubber. MORE: IND vs NZ 4th T20I 2026 live scorecard, toss winner, winning probability, result and highlights from Eden Park, Auckland NZ vs IND 4th T20I: Gautam Gambhir criticised for benching Vaibhav sooryavanshi at Eden Park Gautam Gambhir has come under heavy criticism from supporters after India’s team management decided to leave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the fourth T20I against New Zealand. The teenager had made a stunning 45 off only 19 balls in the previous game, and yet he found himself on the bench. The decision has triggered a social media meltdown as India had already wrapped up the series 3-0, which made the contest on Friday a dead rubber. Supporters expected the side to use the game to give opportunities to players who had performed well, rather than to restore the regular combination. Sooryavanshi had played in the second and third T20Is in place of Ishan Kishan, who was out with an injury. Kishan was fit again for Friday’s match, and his return to the side meant that the young left-hander made way, despite his impressive showing in Wellington. The decision looked even harder to defend once the match began, since India’s top order collapsed in the early overs while chasing a huge total. MORE: Highest successful run chases in all T20 cricket at Eden Park, Auckland Fans slam Gautam Gambhir over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s exclusion New Zealand’s fast bowlers produced a fiery opening burst that wrecked the visitors’ top order, and India were left struggling at 61/4 inside the Powerplay while chasing a massive target of 260. As the wickets fell, social media users turned their attention to the team selection, and many pointed to Sooryavanshi’s absence as the biggest talking point. @CricketopiaCom argued that the youngster deserved a consistent run in the side after his display in the previous match. “This is an absolutely ridiculous selection decision. The kid played an outstanding innings in the previous game, yet he’s been dropped. You simply can’t keep him on the bench just because he’s young, especially when you’ve already won the series. He deserves a consistent run in the playing XI, not to be treated like a backup option,” the post read. Former India international, Dodda Ganesh, suggested a simple alternative, which was to rest one of the senior players and give the teenager a game instead. @doddaganesha wrote: “The series is done. Could’ve rested a senior and played Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Don’t understand this decision of dropping him #NZvIND”. A third fan, @PushprajVibes, went further and criticised the head coach, while also taking a swipe at some of the players in the XI. “Gautam Gambhir doesn’t like the Indian team to do well, saying why did they need to make so many changes when they did so well in the last match? The biggest foolishness was to leave out Vaibhav Suryavanshi; otherwise India would have won today’s match as well. Sanju Samson is that player who does well in one match and then flops in 15 matches. Gambhir will ruin the team in order to play his favourite player,” the post said. @balramsinghchau questioned the selection and claimed that personal preference might be at work. “Gautam Gambhir is certainly raising some serious questions with his decisions. In the previous match, a player who put New Zealand on the back foot in the very first over has been dropped today, while the head coach has brought back his favourites. At times, it seems that team selection is driven more by personal preferences than by consistent performance. Whether intentional or not, favouritism has no place in a team that represents the country. Players should be selected on merit and performance, not personal preferences,” the user wrote. Meanwhile, @SiabhardwajSB made an emotional plea to the captain and the head coach to hand the teenager his place back in the team. “For god’s sake, get Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the XI. Let the kid loose. He’ll tear the opposition apart. Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir stop this abc-xyz and give the kid the opportunity he deserves 🔥 Enough of Justice to Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma running solely on luck,” the post read. MORE: Eden Park dimensions: Boundary sizes at Eden Park stadium in Auckland detailed Why dropping Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in a dead rubber makes little sense The argument for keeping Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the side on Friday was a simple one, and it is hard to find a convincing answer to it. India had already won the series, so the match offered no pressure and plenty of room to experiment, and a 15-year-old who had just hit 45 off 19 balls was the obvious candidate to continue. Ishan Kishan’s return from injury explains the change, since a fit senior player will naturally want to get back into the XI. Even so, a dead rubber is the best place to manage that process gradually, perhaps by giving the returning player a rest and letting the youngster extend his run of games. Opportunities of this kind matter a great deal for a young batter, because rhythm and confidence build through repeated exposure at international level. Sitting out after a strong performance can leave a player wondering what more he needs to do, and that message isn’t helpful in a dressing room. Of course, selectors have to weigh many factors, and the fans criticising the call don’t see every detail behind it. The management may well have its reasons, and a team is entitled to reset its combination before bigger tournaments. Still, a clear explanation would have helped, because without one the decision looks hard to justify. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary, and to share your voice, head to our Facebook , Instagram , and X (Twitter) pages.