Vaibhav Sooryavanshi left out of India XI for 2nd T20I against Afghanistan in Delhi
On September 15, 2026, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was left out of India’s playing XI for the second T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, the second match of the three-game series.
India won the series opener by seven wickets, with Abhishek Sharma scoring 82 in the first game, and that result has intensified scrutiny over India’s top-order combination ahead of the second match. Despite strong short-format performances, Sooryavanshi has not been selected in the XI for the second T20I, though he was named Player of the Series in the Zimbabwe tour.
The primary reason for Sooryavanshi’s omission appears to be team combination rather than an injury or fitness concern. Abhishek Sharma has been established as India’s first-choice opener, and Sooryavanshi is competing with Sanju Samson for the second opening berth.
Sanju Samson was dismissed for 10 in the opening match, yet the Indian management has reportedly considered persisting with the experienced batter. The source notes Samson has been out of form for an extended stretch since his historic effort in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, but selectors appear willing to give him another opportunity.
The teenager’s recent record across formats and platforms is cited in the selection discussion, but selectors may be backing Samson in part because of India’s winning record against Afghanistan in T20Is. The report also states that India aim to get their experienced opener back into form ahead of the upcoming Asian Games contest.
The likely scenario for the second T20I is that Sooryavanshi remains on the bench while Samson opens alongside Abhishek Sharma; if Samson fails again, the report says Sooryavanshi is likely to replace him for the third fixture. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s last T20I appearance for India came on July 26, 2026, against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club.
As of September 15, 2026, Sooryavanshi has been named in India’s T20I squad for the series against Afghanistan but has not played in the first two matches, and nothing can be confirmed about his participation in the third match.
