‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi did nothing wrong’: Former India star questions Sanju Samson’s selection

Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image credit: Agencies) Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has questioned India’s decision to pick Sanju Samson ahead of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the first T20I against Afghanistan.Samson returned to the Indian team but managed just 10 runs off nine balls as India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday.Sooryavanshi was among India’s top acts on their recent tour of Zimbabwe. The 15-year-old was named player of the series after India completed the T20I series 3-0.The youngster also scored runs for the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026. However, he was left out of India’s playing eleven for the first T20I against Afghanistan.

Samson over Sooryavanshi

India had to choose between Sooryavanshi and Samson after the latter returned to the team. Samson missed the Zimbabwe tour and was also dropped from the playing XI midway through the England series.Samson opened Abhishek Sharma’s innings against Afghanistan. The pair added 18 runs in 2.1 overs before Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed Samson.

Kaif questions Samson’s choice

Kaif questioned the decision to pick Samson over Sooryavanshi, especially as Samson did not play competitive cricket after being left out of the Indian squad for the Zimbabwe tour.“What did Sanju do to play the first T20I? When you are out of the team, you play in different tournaments to get back in shape, but in Samson’s case, nothing like that happened. Why didn’t you go for Abhishek and Suryavanshi combination after the young batsman did well in Zimbabwe? They are not sure about their best opening combination. The Indian team still thinks they have to do something wrong because Vaib has to do something wrong. It can lead to confusion, which not good for any team,” Kaif said on Cricbuzz.The former Indian cricketer also felt that the decision showed that the team management was still unsure of its preferred opening combination.“In my opinion, they are a bit hesitant; they are not sure what their best opening combination is. The Indian team is still thinking about it. Vaibhav must be thinking, what have I done wrong? So this is a state of confusion, no doubt about it,” he added.

Sanju Samson under pressure after another low score

Samson has struggled for runs since India’s World T20 final in 2026. Since then, he has scored 43 runs at an average of 8.60. He was expected to play in the Kerala Cricket League after being dropped from the national team but opted out at the last minute due to personal reasons.The Kerala batsman also scored just 33 runs in four innings before the series in Afghanistan.With Sooryavanshi waiting for an opportunity, Samson will be under pressure to score and maintain his place at the top of the order.

Abhishek Sharma powers India to victory

However, India entered the Afghanistan series very well, winning by seven wickets.After restricting Afghanistan to 156/8, Abhishek Sharma smashed 82 off 32 balls to lead India’s chase. The home side reached the target in just 13.4 overs. Ishan Kishan also contributed significantly after overcoming a minor back injury during training. He scored 42 off 33 balls, with five fours and a six.Abhishek’s aggressive knock also helped him answer questions about his recent form.India and Afghanistan will meet in the second T20I on Tuesday.