Don't Miss

India's CWG 2026 Medal Tally Lowest In 24 Years, Yet Among The Best

Tactical Self-Destruction: How England Threw Away Their World Cup Final Dream

Bundesliga Blueprint: How Zee Plans To Complete India's Football Jigsaw

Manuel Neuer Doesn't Know Where To Stop: Not On The Pitch, Not In His Career

Advertisement

ENG

Dark / Light mode

Oct 9,2026 09:47 AM IST

Sanju Samson To Make Way For Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? Tough Call For India Ahead Of 1st T20I vs Afghanistan

facebook

twitter

WhatsApp

Settings

Select Language

Dark / Light mode

Search

Ind vs Afg 06 Jun 26 to 20 Jun 26

arrow-down reddit snapchat twitter facebook comments email printer search bell top-nav reddit-fill snapchat-fill twitter-fill facebook-fill share whatsapp-fill bookmark arrow-rgt arrow-next arrow-up refresh close link cog star book zap cricket football tennis formula-1 badminton hockey golf boxing ndtv-n check left-arrow right-arrow

Live Cricket Matches

India Matches

Ind vs Afg

Football Matches

ISL

IPL 2026

All Matches

India Matches

EPL

Sports Home India vs Afghanistan 2026 News Sanju Samson To Make Way For Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Tough Call For India Ahead Of 1st T20I vs Afghanistan

Related Articles

Story ProgressBack to home

Sanju Samson To Make Way For Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? Tough Call For India Ahead Of 1st T20I vs Afghanistan

While Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was drafted in the playing eleven in England at the expense of Sanju Samson, it is only fair to mention that by the last match of the series, the 15-year-old had to make way for his senior partner's return.

Read Time: 3 min

facebook

twitter

WhatsApp

reddit

E-mail

File images of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sanju Samson© Getty

India face a dilemma over whether to opt for ‘Boy Wonder' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's no-holds-barred aggression or stick with the experience and unmatched flair of Sanju Samson as they take on Afghanistan in the opening game of the three-match T20I series starting Sunday. While Sooryavanshi was drafted in the playing eleven in England at the expense of Samson, it is only fair to mention that by the last match of the series, the 15-year-old had to make way for his senior partner's return. It is not a straightforward choice although Samson-Abhishek Sharma is a more stable T20I pair which has done fairly well. One can only hope that Gambhir and skipper Shreyas Iyer will give equal chances to both Samson and Sooryavanshi if possible before finalising the XI for the Asian Games matches in Japan.

During Friday's evening net session, Samson did look sightly more in control compared to Sooryavanshi, who got a masterclass from Jasprit Bumrah on how to face quick bowling with movement off the surface. It could have been a case of the youngster taking time to adjust after playing three back-to-back red-ball games.

Also Sooryavanshi could take the Afghan attack to the cleaners with none of the opposition bowlers remotely close to Bumrah's quality. The pace at which they bowl could also suit Sooryavanshi's minimal footwork and stand-and-deliver game.

In Samson's case, dropping him in England after just three failures in a high-risk format seemed unfair. But the Sooryavanshi euphoria had reached such a stage that the team management had to listen to popular demand, despite its stated resolve to remain insulated from outside noise.

But there could be a scenario where both Sooryavanshi and Samson end up playing if Ishan Kishan, who had a back injury scare during Friday evening's net session, is ruled out of the game.

Kishan, who is coming into the game after a magnificent Duleep Trophy final in which he scored 270 and 80, wouldn't want to miss playing the only format where he is an India regular.

For the Indian squad that will be taking part in the Asian Games, three matches against a full-strength Afghan team with a world class spin attack in Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed and Mujeeb ur Rahman is the best preparation that one can get.

Not to forget that seam attack comprising Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq supported by all-rounders Gulbadin Naib and Azmatullah Omarzai which can pose a few problems if the 'tired' Feroz Shah Kotla track, after a month-long DPL, offers assistance to the bowlers.

Save for the dilemma at the top of the order, the other talking point in India's playing XI will be the spinners who take the field. Gambhir's affinity for multi-skilled players is well known by now, and hence Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are expected to feature in the line-up.

The question is whether India would go for a third specialist spinner in Varun Chakravarthy or field a specialist seamer Yash Thakur. Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are automatic picks along with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. At a time when bilateral series are losing context with passage of time, the BCCI has decided to help its friendly neighbour keep their cash registers ringing with a "home away from home series". The handsome broadcast money, gate sales receipt and share of the in-stadia rights will certainly ensure good financial health for Afghanistan Cricket Board.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Featured Video Of The Day

Spain's Royal Family Welcomes World Cup Champions To Zarzuela Palace

Topics mentioned in this article

India India Cricket Team Afghanistan Afghanistan Sanju Viswanath Samson Sanju Samson Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Shreyas Iyer India vs Afghanistan 2026 Cricket Afghanistan vs India, 1st T20I

Get the Latest Cricket, Asian Games 2026, Football , Hockey, Badminton Scores, F1 Results at NDTV Sports. Like Us On Facebook Or Follow Us On Twitter For More Sports Updates. You Can Also Download The NDTV Cricket App For Android Or iOS.

Advertisement

Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

Advertisement

ICC Rankings

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending Links

Follow us on:

facebook

twitter

Cricket

Football

More Sports

Formula 1 Tennis Hockey Badminton Golf Nba Kabaddi Shooting Swimming Table Tennis

This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics © Copyright NDTV Convergence Limited 2026. All rights reserved.