3rd T20I: India faces Vaibhav vs Samson dilemma

• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his India T20I debut at age 15 on 4 July.
• The teenager hit two sixes against England before being stumped.
• India trails 1-0 and faces England in the third T20I on 7 July.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi caught the eye of the cricketing fraternity when he made his India debut at the tender age of 15 years and 99 days during the second

T20I against England at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday, July 4.

Coming out to bat as an opener alongside Abhishek Sharma, the left-hander took little time to adjust to his new surroundings, slog sweeping his Rajasthan Royals teammate Jofra Archer for a six down to deep fine leg after facing just three balls beforehand. He did not stop there. In the next over, he hit debutant Josh Tongue for his second maximum of the game over deep midwicket. 

Sooryavanshi's explosive debut, however, was cut short in the next over bowled by Will Jacks. In wanting to take down the spinner, the 15-year-old stepped down the wicket only for the Surrey all-rounder to toss the ball and beat him in the flight, and thus get stumped by Jos Buttler. 

India would go on to lose the game, leaving them 1-0 down after the first two T20Is of this five-match series. Shreyas Iyer's side will need to win all remaining matches to win the series. With the series on the line, should India prioritise the series or continue backing Sooryavanshi in the side in place of Sanju Samson?

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Tough call for India to select one between Samson and Sooryavanshi:

Sooryavanshi replaced Samson in the lineup after the right-handed batter had three low scores, two against Ireland and one against England in the rain-affected game at Chester-le-Street. Despite an underwhelming debut, the management should back their young prodigy for at least the next couple of games. 

Sooryavanshi might have scored just 15 runs in Manchester. The opener, however, showed that he is well capable of handling international-level bowlers, as he has shown in the Indian Premier League and against Archer and Tongue in the second game of the season. 

It would also not help the 15-year-old's confidence after being put back on the sidelines following one low score. Playing at least two or three matches in a series will make a batter more comfortable with their future in the team, allowing them to play with more confidence without worrying about the consequences. 

Should things not work out for Sooryavanshi and India, the Men in Blue still have an ever-reliable Samson waiting in the wings to take over. Despite the recent low scores, the right-handed batter has proved his worth in the side following a Player of the Tournament campaign during the 2026 T20 World Cup, which India won. 

India take on England in the third T20I on Tuesday, July 7 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The recent Test match at the venue showed that the pitch could aid batting, something which could help Sooryavanshi showcase his batting prowess and stamp his authority on the 20-over side.