Story perspectives

India benches Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for Afghanistan T20Is

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 10:03 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

India kept Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opening while benching 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the Afghanistan T20I series.
Sooryavanshi was named Player of the Series in Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs at a 196.10 strike rate.
Samson repaid faith by scoring half-centuries in both Afghanistan T20Is after his reinstatement.
Former selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth blasted the benching of Sooryavanshi, saying fans questioned the move.

History

Historical Context

Michael Owen burst onto the senior stage when he debuted for England on 11 February 1998 at 18 years 59 days, becoming the 20th-century’s youngest England player and scoring in the 1998 FIFA World Cup against Argentina. His rapid rise echoed earlier youth-selection debates, showing how national teams repeatedly balance promise against experience in major tournaments.

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Story summary

India kept Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opening while benching 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the Afghanistan T20I series.
Sooryavanshi was named Player of the Series in Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs at a 196.10 strike rate.
Samson repaid faith by scoring half-centuries in both Afghanistan T20Is after his reinstatement.
Former selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth blasted the benching of Sooryavanshi, saying fans questioned the move.

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