Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Father Asked About Teenager's Absence In India XI vs Afghanistan. His Reply

For the second match running against Afghanistan, the Indian team went ahead with Sanju Samson in place of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the preferred opener. Samson, after scoring 10 in the first T20I, made a terrific comeback to slam 57 off 22 balls. For the third T20I, to be held on Thursday, Sooryavanshi is likely to get a chance, as hinted by captain Shreyas Iyer. "Definitely, we want all of them to get used to the wicket and get some practice, so it will be a good opportunity to give a chance to the guys sitting out," Iyer said after the second T20I.

After the second T20I, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's father, Sanjeev, was asked about his son's absence from the playing XI.

"When there is a need, he will play. Baccha taiyaar hai khelne ke liye (the boy is ready to play)," Sanjeev told India Today.

Chasing a target of 160 runs against Afghanistan in the second T20I, Team India never looked under pressure as the opening duo of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma forged an 88-run partnership for the first wicket. Samson roared back to form with a 57-run knock off just 22 balls as India overhauled the total in just 14.5 overs. The wicketkeeper-batter's exemplary knock put the chatter around his competition with the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to bed, showing the cricket world once again that form is temporary, while class is permanent.

Samson, speaking at the press conference after the game, was asked about the competition for the two opening spots in the T20I team. However, the veteran cricketer produced a mic-drop statement, saying competition only exists for the outside world. For him, both Sooryavanshi and Abhishek are teammates playing together for the country. He stressed that there is no chatter in the team about one player being snubbed or another not getting enough opportunities.

"I think they (Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma) are competitors for the outside world, but we are a team, and we are playing for our country. We want to win the game first, and then it comes down to the other individuals. We cannot sulk or be in a negative frame of mind, thinking, 'Oh, I did not get it, why was it given to him?' Those kinds of mindsets do not work here," Samson told reporters in the post-match press conference.

Samson also spoke about the chatter on social media, where a number of former Indian cricketers have opined on the competition for the opening spot. Some suggest that Sooryavanshi deserves to play ahead of Samson in the team, while others believe Abhishek should make way for the teenage batter.

While Samson is not someone who pays heed to comments on the internet, he admitted to having come across some remarks made by former cricketers.

"I try to switch the Wi-Fi off. But sometimes the Wi-Fi gets switched on, and comments become visible. Some senior player says something. So I think it is very normal."

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