While one is a teenage sensation, the other is a batter in red-hot form. Indian Head Coach made the difficult call to bring in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi instead of Sanju Samson. Speaking to JioStar ahead of the series against the West Indies, Gambhir revealed that it was one of the hardest choices he had to make as an Indian coach.

“In two years of my journey, that was the only night I could not sleep and I told this to Sanju because I knew that it was probably the toughest decision in my coaching tenure in the T20 format—to leave out someone who was Player of the Tournament after only three or four games. The reason was probably that Vaibhav was in that kind of form as well, and we had to win the series,” Gambhir said.

“Because ultimately you are there and when you are playing for India, or when you are coaching India, you want to win each and every series possible. I had a very, very honest conversation with him and I told him that that is one of the reasons why, because Vaibhav was in that kind of form, and we needed someone to score runs at the top, we needed that little bit of a platform at the top as well. And he was fine with it. And that’s a conversation which me and Sanju had, and he took it in good spirits,” said Gambhir added.

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Gambhir also said the young players like Sooryavanshi need to wait for their time.  “I know, it is (tough). But then, I made him understand that I know you’re in good form, but sometimes with the players who have done well for a long time, you will have to wait for your opportunity.”

Gambhir was also adamant that social media is not the factor on who players either Sooryavanshi or Samson. “There’s one more thing – social media or outside noise doesn’t decide the playing XI. The playing XI is decided by who, in that dressing room, the coach and captain feel can win us the match, what is the best playing XI, and who have done well for such a long time because if Vaibhav plays today, then it’s going to be a tough conversation between me and whoever we leave out, whether it’s Abhishek or Sanju.