Why was Sanju Samson chosen over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI for the T20I against Afghanistan?

Sanju Samson was included in the playing XI due to the team's management's confidence in his experience, despite his recent inconsistency. This choice came after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's impressive performances in the recent series against Zimbabwe.

How did Sanju Samson perform in the first T20I against Afghanistan after his inclusion?

In the first T20I against Afghanistan, Sanju Samson batted for just eight balls, scoring 10 runs before getting out, which raised questions regarding his place in the team.

What impact does Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's recent form have on Sanju Samson's position in the team?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's strong performance in the previous series, where he was the Player of the Series with significant runs, intensifies the competition for Sammy's position, making his margin for error smaller.

Sanju Samson's inclusion ahead of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sparks furore as 'massive question' asked: 'What did he do?'

Sanju Samson played ahead of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the first T20I against Afghanistan.

Updated on: Sep 14, 2026, 21:36:48 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Former India batter Mohammad Kaif wasn't pleased with Sanju Samson starting in the playing XI for the series opener against Afghanistan, and questioned the team management for leaving out Vaibhav Sooryavanshi despite his Player of the Series win in the previous assignment against Zimbabwe. The right-handed Samson opened the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma in the first T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday, where he lasted just eight balls in the middle, scoring 10 runs.

India's Sanju Samson during the first T20I cricket match between India and Afghanistan. (PTI)

The age-old problem of Samson's inconsistency was once again at the forefront, and questions continue to mount over his inclusion in the Team ahead of Sooryavanshi, despite the latter scoring 151 runs in the three-match series against Zimbabwe in July.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Kaif questioned what Samson did in the last two months to warrant a place ahead of the 15-year-old in the playing XI. It is worth noting that Samson was rested for the tour of Zimbabwe; hence, Sooryavanshi opened the batting alongside Abhishek and returned with scores of 50, 20, and 81.

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Also Read: Sanju Samson 'doesn’t help his own cause': Sanjay Manjrekar says it as it is amid tough competition from Sooryavanshi

“What did Sanju do in between to get a chance today? Usually, when you are dropped, you play here and there and regain some form; nothing like that has happened," Kaif said while speaking on Cricbuzz.

“Why did he get a chance? That’s a massive question. Why did you not go with the same combination after Vaibhav scored runs in Zimbabwe? That’s another question," he added.

'Hesitation'

The former India batter Kaif also claimed that the current management, headed by skipper Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir, is hesitating to narrow down the opening combination.

Kaif added that Sooryavanshi must be thinking about what he did wrong in the last few days to be given this treatment.

“In my opinion, they are hesitating a bit; they are unsure of what their best opening combination is. The Indian team are still thinking about it. Vaibhav must be saying What did I do wrong?" Kaif added.

Speaking of Samson, he played the first two T20Is against Ireland and the series opener against England, but three low scores were all it took for the T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament to be dropped. Sooryavanshi then came into the lineup, becoming the youngest-ever debutant for India.

However, Sooryavanshi also failed in his first three outings in international cricket, paving the way for Samson to return to the XI for the final T20I against England. However, the inclusion didn't yield any substantial results as the right-hander was then rested from the squad for the Zimbabwe series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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