The first T20 of the India-Afghanistan series is in Delhi on Sep 13. Vaibhav Suryavanshi may be dropped due to poor form, while Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma could open.
According to sources, young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi may have to sit out the first match, while the experienced Sanju Samson and the explosive Abhishek Sharma could be seen opening the innings.
Young talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi might be rested for the first T20 match against Afghanistan. The team management is considering managing his workload and giving him a short break.
Notably, Suryavanshi recently participated in the Duleep Trophy final. In this title clash, his team East Zone won the title by defeating South Zone, but Suryavanshi's bat remained silent.
He scored 44 runs in the first innings but was dismissed for just eight runs in the second. This performance raises questions about his recent form.
Furthermore, during Team India's practice session in Delhi, Vaibhav Suryavanshi faced considerable difficulty batting against fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. Considering all these factors, the decision to rest him for the first match may be taken.
If Vaibhav Suryavanshi is kept out, the T20 World Cup's top-3, namely Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan, could once again be seen playing in the first match against Afghanistan. In such a scenario, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson could handle the opening responsibilities.
Another worrying piece of news emerged during the team's practice session on Friday. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan got injured. However, there has been no official update on the severity of his injury yet.
If Ishan Kishan's injury is serious and a decision is made to rest him, the playing XI equation could change again. In such a situation, Vaibhav Suryavanshi might get a chance and could be seen opening with Sanju Samson.
In the bowling department, Team India is preparing to go in with its full strength. The pace attack will be led by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.
Meanwhile, the spin bowling duties will be handled by the experienced Axar Patel and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy. These two bowlers will try to keep the Afghan batsmen in check during the middle overs.
The team also has two all-rounders in Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube. If needed, a few overs could be bowled by them during the middle phase of the innings.
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