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Français (Afrique)Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane believes Sanju Samson should get another opportunity at the top of the order in the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. Rahane feels young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can wait for his chance, while Samson should return to the opening combination alongside Abhishek Sharma.
India are set to play three T20Is against Afghanistan on September 13, 15 and 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The team has made several changes to its top order since winning the 2026 T20 World Cup.
During the World Cup, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan formed India’s top three and produced strong performances for the team.
Rahane wants World Cup top three back
Samson was dropped after a few low scores during the England series, while 15-year-old Sooryavanshi was handed his T20I debut. However, the youngster could not make a major impact in his three matches.
Samson later returned for the final T20I against England but was not included in India’s squad for the Zimbabwe tour. The BCCI had said that the wicketkeeper-batter was rested.
Rahane believes India should go back to the combination that worked during their World Cup campaign.
“I feel the top 3 who played in the World Cup should be the top 3,” Rahane said.
‘Sanju Samson to get another chance’: Rahane
Rahane also backed Samson despite his recent struggles. He feels the experienced batter deserves a longer run instead of losing his place after just a few failures.
“Sanju Samson did very well. After that, he was dropped — maybe two or three bad innings — but after that, he was dropped. But I want Sanju Samson to get another chance. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, who did well for us, should get chances. Sooryavanshi will get his chance; his time will come. But for now, I feel the top 3 should be Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan — the ones who were our contributors in the World Cup,” he added.
Sooryavanshi and Kishan return from red-ball cricket
Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi were both part of the recent Duleep Trophy final. Their involvement in red-ball cricket means they will have limited time to switch back to the T20 format before India’s opening game against Afghanistan.
India have retained the Asian Games squad for the Afghanistan series, meaning both Samson and Sooryavanshi remain available for selection.
India face selection call at the top
Rahane’s comments have added another angle to the debate over India’s opening combination. While Sooryavanshi is one of the most exciting young batters in the team, Rahane believes there is no need to rush him into a regular role.
The former India captain feels the World Cup-winning top three should get priority for now. According to Rahane, Sooryavanshi has plenty of time to build his career and will get several opportunities in the future.
For the Afghanistan series, Rahane’s preferred combination would see Samson return alongside Abhishek, with Kishan completing the top three. The final decision, however, will be taken by India’s team management when the three-match series begins in New Delhi.