'Never seen a more confused Indian team management': Mohammad Kaif
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has criticized the Gautam Gambhir-led team management for their handling of batters Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson during the recent UK tour. Kaif took to social media platform X to express his disappointment, saying he had "never seen a more confused Indian cricket team management." The criticism comes after India's 2-0 T20I series defeat to Ireland and 4-0 to England.
Management critique
Kaif's scathing rebuke of team management
Kaif questioned the management's approach toward Sooryavanshi and Samson, saying it was far from professional. He wrote, "Never seen a more confused Indian cricket team management." He emphasized their potential, calling one a "generational talent" and the other a "World Cup winner." The former cricketer stressed that these players need confidence instead of doubts in their minds.
Twitter Post
What Kaif wrote on X
Never seen a more confused Indian cricket team management. The handling of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson has been far from professional. One is a generational talent, another World Cup winner - they need to be given confidence not doubts in their minds.
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) July 12, 2026
Performance review
Confusion over Samson and Sooryavanshi's selection
Samson, who started in Ireland, faced criticism as many believed the series was the perfect opportunity to expose the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi. However, the team management defended their decision by saying they wanted to back the experience of their ICC T20 World Cup-winning squad. Samson then failed to score double digits in three consecutive matches, including the abandoned opener against England, and was dropped for Sooryavanshi.
Inconsistency concerns
Sooryavanshi given three matches
In the 2nd T20I against England, Samson made way for Sooryavanshi, who became India's youngest player across formats. The latter had a brief but promising stint in three matches, hitting 5 sixes. He scored 14, 13, and 15 runs before being replaced by Samson for the fifth game. This inconsistency has raised questions over the management's decisions as both players are aggressive batters with high-risk tolerance.
Omission impact
Management under fire for confusing decisions
Moreover, Samson was excluded from India's Playing XI for the Zimbabwe T20I tour, raising questions about the communication. And Samson returned for the 5th T20I, even though he isn't part of India's squad for the Zimbabwe games. The decision to drop Sooryavanshi after his first three T20Is has sparked debate over whether it was justified or if experience should have been prioritized amid team struggles.
Information
Bearing the brunt!
India are bearing the brunt of constant alterations in the Playing XI, including sacking the T20 World Cup-winning captain, Suryakumar Yadav, and replacing him with Shreyas Iyer. They are yet to win a T20I since lifting the cup in March.