'Did these guys not learn anything from Virat and Rohit': South Africa legend takes brutal aim at Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
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'Did these guys not learn anything from Virat and Rohit': South Africa legend takes brutal aim at Vaibhav Sooryavanshi originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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- South Africa legend Herschelle Gibbs criticised India's reckless batting after their heavy defeat to England.
- He questioned why India's batters had not learned from Virat Kohli's measured approach.
- India were bowled out for just 76 in a record 125-run defeat in the third T20I.
South African legend takes brutal aim at Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not learning from Kohli and Rohit
The world was waiting for the international debut of India wonderkid, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. However, India's batting capitulation in the third T20I against England has drawn criticism from all corners of the cricketing world.
Their embarrassing collapse to just 76 all out, and the reckless nature of it, has left legends of the game baffled by the approach.
Among the most scathing voices was South Africa great Herschelle Gibbs. The former opener, himself a fearless yet intelligent stroke-maker in his pomp, was left exasperated by the tourists' one-dimensional, all-or-nothing method with the bat in Nottingham on the night.
The same man who scored a magnificent 175 (111) to chase the first 400+ score in ODI believes that the 15-year-old didn't think while playing.
Gibbs pointed to a glaring absence of the game awareness that defined India's modern greats. He specifically referenced Virat Kohli, holding up the batting maestro as the perfect example of how to construct an innings in the shortest format, no matter the situation.
Herschelle Gibbs points to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's example
The South African did not hold back in his blunt assessment. "Did these guys not learn anything from Virat? He always gave himself a chance when chasing or setting, never rushed," Gibbs wrote on X, lamenting the failure to absorb the lessons of their finest batter, while replying to an user.
Did these guys not learn anything from virat ? He always gave himself a chance when chasing or setting, never rushed.
— Herschelle Gibbs (@hershybru) July 8, 2026
His frustration was rooted in India's chaotic display. Youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi typified the recklessness, blazing 13 from just five balls before falling, as the entire batting order perished trying to slog their way out of trouble against a disciplined attack.
Gibbs's point about Kohli and India's other departed stars, like Rohit Sharma, cut deep. Those batters built their legends on a rare ability to read situations, pace an innings, and accelerate at the right moments, a skill this side sorely lacks.
Gibbs was far from alone in his criticism. His comments echoed those of Moeen Ali, who blamed the IPL's Impact Player rule for eroding India's batting art, painting a picture of a generation that has forgotten how to build an innings under pressure.
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Harsh but fair criticism
Gibbs's assessment, while brutal, is difficult to argue against. India's approach was indeed baffling, and the contrast with the calm, calculated method of Kohli and Rohit could not be starker, exposing a worrying lack of temperament in the post-superstar generation.
The criticism does, however, point to a real systemic concern for Indian cricket. With their all-time greats now departed, the batting group must quickly develop the game intelligence that defined a golden era, or these humbling collapses could become a recurring theme.
Singling out a 15-year-old on debut duty, however, feels a little unfair. Sooryavanshi is a raw prodigy still learning his craft, and expecting Kohli-like maturity from a teenager overlooks the fact that such game awareness is earned only through years of experience.
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