We keep hearing the phrase ‘good headache to have’ when it comes to selection when a team is blessed with an abundance of talent. I actually don’t think the headache is pleasant, because you eventually end up taking a call that deprives one very good player of an opportunity. And that’s exactly where India find themselves at this point.
India have Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan all ready to open the batting. If Ishan is your designated No. 3 for now, you still have three players who all deserve to play.
How do you replace either Abhishek or Sanju at the top of the order? Abhishek has revolutionised India’s T20 template over the last year and a half, while Sanju was the Player of the Tournament in the recently concluded World Cup. How do you, on the basis of IPL performances, drop either of them?
Similarly, how do you not hand Vaibhav a debut? He has been in red-hot form and, while the IPL is the primary yardstick in his case, he has also played superbly well in the finals in Sri Lanka recently. Clearly, he is the talk of the town at the moment, and there is no doubting his talent. He deserves a debut, but in whose place? And if he does get one, how do you justify leaving out either Sanju or Abhishek?
This is one of the toughest selection calls of recent times, and it is based entirely on performance. Each of these players deserves a place in the team and, in almost any other country, they would walk straight into the XI and be given a long run. In this case, however, there will be constant scrutiny.
Suppose Vaibhav sits out and either Abhishek or Sanju fails in a couple of games, there will be mounting pressure to make a change. Or, if Vaibhav gets opportunities and doesn’t perform, questions will inevitably be asked about why India preferred him ahead of Sanju or Abhishek.
Gautam Gambhir, I would say, is the best person to take this call. He will trust his instincts and not be swayed by emotion. That’s exactly how it should be. Take the decision, then speak to the player who misses out. You need to take that person into confidence and clearly communicate why he will have to wait for his opportunity.
This is where the IPL deserves enormous credit. In two decades of its existence, it has completely revolutionised India’s T20 cricket. The talent pool is enormous and the supply line incredibly strong. When you look at the depth, you know India are well placed to dominate the format for the next decade.
And while Vaibhav is the name on everyone’s lips at the moment, it is worth remembering that Abhishek is still at a very early stage of his international career as well. And had it not been for Sanju, India would not have been world champions in March.
The truth is that public memory is short, and fickleness is very much a reality. Each of these players should understand that and simply go about their job in Ireland.
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