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Former Indian batsman S Badrinath has questioned Sanju Samson’s place in the T20I XI and his disappointing performance since the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, as teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi is still awaiting his debut. Amid the England series, Vaibhav Suryavanshi reposted Abhishek Sharma’s alleged girlfriend’s reel on Instagram.
Vaibhav has been kept in waiting despite Samson’s consistent struggles with the bat, and this is disappointing to many as the 15-year-old wonderkid has been in exceptional form with the bat since IPL 2026. Now, the demand for the left-handed batsman to make his India debut is becoming stronger and stronger.
S Badrinath wants India to take advantage of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s excellent form
With the five-match T20 series against England set to begin, S Badrinath feels this could be the right time for the Indian team management to bring in Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He believes that the team should not keep the fearless young player waiting on the bench, especially when the team is looking for more aggressive batting.
Suryavanshi made his place in the national team after a dream campaign in IPL 2026. This young left-handed player dominated the bowlers throughout the tournament and became the best player of the tournament. In just 16 matches, he scored 776 runs at an excellent average of 48.50 and a remarkable strike rate of over 237.
The Rajasthan Royals opener also had an impressive performance with India A on the Sri Lanka tour. Despite such incredible form, the teenager missed both the T20Is against Ireland and was again dropped from the playing eleven for the opening T20I against England. After this, GT advises coach Gautam Gambhir to handle Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
He hasn’t done anything good since the World Cup: S Badrinath criticizes Sanju Samson’s poor form
Badrinath believes that the Indian team should take advantage of Vaibhav’s current confidence and excellent form instead of keeping him waiting as Sanju Samson is also struggling badly in T20Is after making a big contribution in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 victory.
Samson became the Player of the Tournament by scoring 321 runs in five innings at an excellent strike rate of close to 200. However, since then, he has managed only six runs in the last three T20Is.
“Timing is very important for a player. He should be given a chance when he is in form. There is no point playing him when he is not in form. Confidence is everything in the game, and he is full of confidence right now. So, he should play. Also, we should not forget that Sanju Samson has been failing since the T20 World Cup. He has not done anything good since the World Cup,” S Badrinath said in a video on his YouTube channel.
India’s batting failure in Ireland strengthens Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s claim!
Although Badrinath did not directly call for dropping Samson from India’s playing eleven, he believes that the team management should think seriously about giving a chance to Vaibhav Suryavanshi due to his exceptional form with the bat.
The cricket pundit said, “Although I don’t advocate dropping Samson, it is something to think about when the in-form Suryavanshi is sitting out.”
Badrinath further stressed that the lack of aggressive batting in Ireland is another strong reason to give Suryavanshi a chance to make his long-awaited debut. His fearless style and explosive stroke play could provide the perfect spark for the Men in Blue at this stage during the transition phase.
The former CSK batsman said, “There was a lack of intent with the bat in the two defeats against Ireland. This has become a big reason for Team India to play Vaibhav Suryavanshi.”
However, the touring team performed better and posted a competitive score of 189 runs in 20 overs, but the first T20 match in Durham was abandoned due to rain.
Now, all eyes are on the second T20 match to be held in Manchester on July 4. It will be interesting to see whether the team management finally hands the much-awaited India debut to the teenager or continues to support the struggling Samson.