Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Sunbbed For First T20I vs Afghanistan In Big Verdict By Ex-India Star

By Suresh

**Selection Puzzle at the Top: Razdan Backs Iyer at No. 4, Samson to Open vs Afghanistan** Namaste, cricket lovers. Let me share a discussion that's got the pre-match buzz going. With the first T20I vs Afghanistan lined up for *tmr* (Sunday) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, India face a genuine opening conundrum. Four names are in the mix: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and the 15-year-old wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi—fresh off his international debut in England. Former India star Vivek Razdan has thrown his weight firmly behind captain Shreyas Iyer staying put at number four, a position he holds even though he bats third for the Punjab Kings in the IPL. *"Shreyas should not change his number at the moment,"* Razdan argued during the Sony Sports press meet. *"You already have four names for the top three: Abhishek, Vaibhav, and Ishan—but all three are left-handers. You've got plenty of lefties in the side. You can't just include someone because he's a right-hander. I don't agree with that at all."* His core message? Performance trumps the left-right maths. *"If I don't have a right-hander who has performed like this, then play all seven lefties. Performance is the key. It's never a problem whether you bat left or right."* And that logic lands him squarely behind Samson opening the innings. The keeper-bat's recent T20 form is hard to ignore—300+ runs at a 200 SR en route to winning the World Cup a few months back. *"He's a very good player,"* Razdan said, conceding that while captains weigh leftright balance, Samson's form demands inclusion. **The bigger picture:** This marks Iyer's first *home* series as captain. Good news on the fitness front—Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy have all returned from injury and are in the squad. Afghanistan, led by Ibrahim Zadran, will be hunting their first-ever T20I win over India. History isn't on their side—the two have met nine times, with India taking eight and one no-result. So the real question heading into Sunday: does India trust the running, or do they reshuffle the top order? My money's on the form speaking louder than the combination chart. *Jai Hind.* 🏏 Source: NDTV Sports