Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has criticised the Indian team management over its handling of batters Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson during the ongoing T20I series against England, describing the selection decisions as "far from professional." Kaif questioned the frequent changes in the playing XI, saying the inconsistency could affect the confidence of both players, particularly a young talent like Sooryavanshi and an experienced campaigner such as Samson.

Sanju Samson featured in the opening T20I of the series, but after the match was washed out, he was left out of the playing XI for the next three matches. In his place, teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was given an opportunity. However, Sooryavanshi was then omitted from the squad for the fifth T20I, with Samson returning to the side. The repeated changes prompted criticism from former players and fans, who questioned the team's selection strategy.

Expressing his views on social media platform X, Kaif wrote, "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." His comments highlighted concerns over the impact that inconsistent selection decisions can have on players' confidence and long-term development.

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The Indian team management has not publicly explained the reasoning behind the changes involving Samson and Sooryavanshi. Team selections are typically influenced by factors such as pitch conditions, tactical requirements, player workload and team combinations, though the frequent rotation in this series has attracted considerable scrutiny from cricket experts and supporters.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has emerged as one of India's most promising young batters, while Sanju Samson remains one of the country's experienced white-ball players with a World Cup title to his name. Both are regarded as important options for India's future limited-overs plans, making the handling of their opportunities a closely watched aspect of the team's selection policy.

Kaif's remarks have added to the debate surrounding India's team management and player rotation strategy during the England series. With major international tournaments on the horizon, former players continue to stress the importance of providing clarity, consistency and confidence to players as India builds a stable and competitive squad for the future.

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