‘Politics Ho Raha Hai Ab’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 6th Consecutive Snub Sparks Fan Outrage

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has once again been left out of the line up as India named their playing XI for the first T20I against New Zealand. The 15-year-old is part of the squad and it marks the 6th straight match that the left hander has been ignored for selection.

Since making it to the Indian team, Sooryavanshi has played 8 out of the 24 games the Men in Blue have played in the format. The Rajasthan Royals star forced his way into the team's plans following a record breaking IPL 2026 season, and has done well in his few opportunities in T20Is.

Netizens react to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi snub

The decision to drop Vaibhav has not appealed to fans online. Many alleged 'jealousy' and 'politics' by Shreyas and Gambhir behind the decision. A few argued that if the team were set on the combination, Vaibhav should not have been picked, given he could have played for India A or in the Ranji Trophy.

Why is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not playing?

India captain Shreyas Iyer had suggested that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to be patient and wait for his opportunities. India currently have Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as openers, both who played pivotal roles in India's T20 World Cup 2026 win earlier this year.

"He is very young, he has more years to get opportunities. It's not like he can walk in right now, because our openers are scoring consistently, and they have won the World Cup," Shreyas said ahead of the IND vs NZ 1st T20I.