Team India's young batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi finally looks set to make his international debut. The BCCI selection committee included him in the squad for the T20I series against Ireland and England, but he is yet to find a place in the playing eleven. He sat out through the matches against Ireland, and even in the first game against England he was not given a chance to bat. However, with Sanju Samson's form dipping badly, the situation now appears to be turning in Vaibhav's favour.
Sanju Samson's bat has gone silent
Sanju Samson has struggled badly with the bat across the last three T20 Internationals. In the first T20 against Ireland, he could only manage five runs. Things got worse in the second match, where he was dismissed on the very first ball without opening his account. Then, in the opening match of the series against England, Samson faced seven balls but scored just a single run. That means across three matches, Samson has managed only six runs in total. Given this run of failures, his exclusion from the playing eleven now looks almost certain.
Vaibhav missed out even in the Ireland series
During the two match T20I series between India and Ireland, Vaibhav Suryavanshi was named in the squad but did not get to play a single game. India ended up losing that series. Once it concluded, the T20 series against England got underway. Many expected Vaibhav to make his debut in the very first match of this series, but that did not happen either, and he was once again left out of the playing eleven.
A big change could be on the cards on Saturday
India will take the field against England in the second T20 match on Saturday. While the playing eleven may not see too many changes overall, it is widely expected that Vaibhav Suryavanshi will replace Sanju Samson in the lineup. Wicketkeeping duties will not be an issue, since Ishan Kishan is already handling that role. In fact, even in the second T20 against Ireland, Kishan kept wicket despite Samson being part of the squad. It is also being suggested that even if Vaibhav fails to score in his first few matches after getting a chance, the team management will continue to back him with a few more games so that his talent gets a fair opportunity to show itself.
