Samson’s place in danger? Sooryavanshi is breathing down his neck, warns Manjrekar
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s much-anticipated T20I debut may have been delayed, but former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar believes the 15-year-old prodigy is already breathing life into first-choice openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma-more, the former. Manjrekar’s comments came after India suffered a shock defeat against Ireland in the first of the two-match T20I series, marking their first ever loss to an Irish side in any format.
Quite a few pundits and fans expected Sooryavanshi to get his first cap on Friday, June 26. However, the team management and newly appointed captain Shreyas Iyer decided to retain the T20 World Cup winning opening pair of Samson and Abhishek. Iyer explained that they didn’t want to mess with the winning hand assured that Sooryavanshi’s time would come sooner rather than later.
Yet a compelling case was made for the teenager’s inclusion after India’s batting line-up collapsed spectacularly in Belfast. Chasing 183, vThe Isitors were bundled out for just 148 in 18.5 overs. Samson failed to get a run going, he was dismissed by left-arm walker Jai Moondra in the very first over. Although Samson went off the mark with a boundary, he was quickly undone by a left-arm angle – a recurring technical error that continues to plague the batsmen at the Kerala wickets.
While Abhishek Sharma provided the lone spark with a blistering 19-ball fifty, the rest of the line-up fell apart. Captain Shreyas fell for 3 while vice-captain Tilak Varma could only manage 19.
“Sanju Samson needs to be careful as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is breathing down his neck and Abhishek Sharma,” Manjrekar told Sony Sports in a post-match analysis.
Despite the fluctuations, the team management is expected to give Samson and Abhishek a longer rope. Abhishek has been one of India’s most consistent performers in the shortest format, while Samson has shone fresh in the recent T20 World Cup where he played match-winning knocks in both the semi-final and final against New Zealand.
Vaibhav headed to Ireland after a record 29-ball 94 for India A in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla earlier this month. The prodigy also won the IPL 2026 Orange Cap, amassing 776 runs, including a record 72 sixes.
IS IT NOT EASY FOR SOORYAVANSHI?
Interestingly, Manjrekar supported the decision to protect Sooryavanshi before the start of the series despite his record-breaking form in recent times. The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that the Belfast surface was far from a batting paradise, suggesting that the expansive boundary dimensions would test the youngster.
“I think he would have done what Abhishek did, maybe a little bit better. A chase where you had to do everything in the first six overs. You had to carry that momentum into the remaining overs. So he could have made things a little easier in the chase, but the target was just too big and the conditions weren’t easy. And you saw in the tri-series how they often came to him in Manjesren’ observed.
“And I’m very glad you know I’ve also said it earlier that people have got an idea of how sixes are not that easy to hit. So Vaibhav would have done it in the first six overs but he’d also have his work cut out for him later on. And to answer your question, I don’t think it would make much of a difference unless you want to play him in the middle order, but he’s not down the order, but he’s not there. I think there’s some room,” he added.
India will look to restore parity and level the series when they take on Ireland in the second and final T20I match on Sunday, June 28. Whether the team management will hand Sooryavanshi his international debut remains a major point ahead of the match. After being assigned to Belfast, India are scheduled to travel across the Irish Sea for a five-match T20I series against England starting on July 1.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
27 Jun 2026 11:47 IST