IND vs. AFG ODI series 2026: Will Sanju Samson's return change Team India's opening plan? A new partnership with Vaibhav Suryavanshi could be on the cards
Sanju Samson Returns to India's T20 Team: IND vs. AFG ODI series 2026: Sanju Samson has made a comeback to the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 series against Afghanistan. The wicketkeeper-batsman now has another opportunity to cement his place in the team. His return has also sparked discussions regarding India's opening pair.
Former Indian wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta said that Sanju Samson and young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi could be given the chance to open the innings in the Afghanistan series.
Will the Samson-Suryavanshi pairing work?
Deep Dasgupta said that India has previously seen both Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Suryavanshi open alongside Abhishek Sharma, but the two have not yet opened the innings together for India.
He remarked that it would be interesting to see how the two batsmen perform together at the top of the order. Dasgupta clarified that he was not suggesting dropping any player from the team, but rather advising that different combinations be tried out.
Vaibhav shines in the Zimbabwe series
15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has strengthened his case for selection with a stellar performance in the series against Zimbabwe. He scored 151 runs across three innings, finishing as the series' highest run-scorer.
Vaibhav maintained a batting average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10. He played a magnificent knock of 81 runs in one match and also scored two half-centuries. He was named the Player of the Series for his performance.
His contributions helped India secure its first series victory under new T20 captain Shreyas Iyer. Prior to this, India had faced series defeats against Ireland and England.
A test before the T20 World Cup
Sanju Samson had not been included in the squad for the Zimbabwe tour. He had previously been dropped from the playing XI following three consecutive poor innings. This decision came at a time when he had been named the Player of the Tournament during India's T20 World Cup campaign.
Now, with Samson's return, the team management has the opportunity to experiment with different opening combinations. Deep Dasgupta emphasized the importance of giving every player and combination adequate chances ahead of the T20 World Cup, so the team can determine which pairing works best for the major tournament.
The upcoming India versus Afghanistan T20I series is scheduled from September 13 to September 17, 2026.
1st T20I: September 13, 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi (7:00 PM IST)
2nd T20I: September 15, 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi (7:00 PM IST)
3rd T20I: September 17, 2026 at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi (7:00 PM IST)