India can pick between Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at the top of the order, and they should stop choosing and use both at once. Both have already delivered as openers on their own this year, just never in the same innings. The pair has never opened together in international cricket, despite each holding down that role alongside Abhishek Sharma in separate series this year. The three-match Afghanistan series in New Delhi gives India their cleanest low-risk chance yet to find out what the untested pairing looks like under pressure.
The Case for Pairing Two Openers
India’s post-World Cup planning treats Abhishek Sharma as the only fixed opener, then rotates the second spot between Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi depending on the series and conditions. Samson opened alongside Abhishek in the England T20Is in July. Sooryavanshi opened alongside Abhishek in Zimbabwe that same month, making 151 runs in three innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10, enough for the Player of the Series award.
The simplest third combination, Samson directly alongside Sooryavanshi, has never been attempted in a competitive fixture. India keep testing individual names against Abhishek rather than exploring the pairing that would tell them the most about their long-term top order. It would also show whether the middle order can absorb an extra aggressive presence at three when both openers cash in early.
IND vs AFG 2026 Samson-Sooryavanshi Opening
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta flagged the gap on his YouTube channel ahead of the series, pointing out that fans have seen Abhishek paired with each opener separately but never the other two together in the same lineup. He argued the next six to eight months should be used to test every credible combination before settling on a first-choice pairing two to three months out from the next T20 World Cup.
The series against Afghanistan runs September 13, 15 and 17, all day-night fixtures at 7 PM IST at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi. Shreyas Iyer captains the side with Tilak Varma as his deputy. Samson is back after sitting out the Zimbabwe tour, and Sooryavanshi keeps his place, marking the first time both are available together since Sooryavanshi’s international debut earlier this year.
What the Numbers Say About Both
The stats make a straightforward case for trying it. As a T20I opener, Samson averages 34.75 at a strike rate of 182.89, with three centuries from that position. Sooryavanshi has opened in all six of his T20I innings so far, averaging 32.16, and his Zimbabwe series alone produced a strike rate of 196.10. Both left-right bat combinations against the new ball are set up to attack from over one.
Player | Innings as Opener | Average | Strike Rate |
Sanju Samson | 32 | 22.50 | 160.00 |
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | 6 | 32.17 | 189.22 |
Abhishek Sharma | 53 | 31.50 | 187.24 |
The table shows Abhishek well ahead on raw opportunities, but it also shows Sooryavanshi already outstripping both established options across his small sample of innings so far.
Abhishek Sharma’s Role in Either Pairing
Abhishek Sharma’s own numbers across 50 T20Is, an average of 33.80 and a strike rate of 190.35, make him a genuine first-choice opener in his own right, not just a stabiliser for whoever bats alongside him. He steadied Samson’s aggression in England and gave Sooryavanshi a more experienced partner in Zimbabwe. Team management have praised his consistency all year as the platform the other two build from.
The real question isn’t whether Abhishek belongs at the top; it’s whether the Afghanistan series is the right moment to finally test all three combinations instead of defaulting to the same pairing every single game of the tour.
The Risk of Waiting Too Long
Coach Gautam Gambhir‘s group has embraced rotation through this entire 2026-27 window, but squad rotation and genuine combination testing aren’t the same thing. Every pairing India hasn’t tried yet is data they won’t have when selection pressure is highest before a major tournament arrives.
Samson was Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup, and Sooryavanshi is already striking at a rate that outpaces most senior openers in the world game right now. A three-match home series against a lower-ranked opponent is exactly the low-risk setting for the IND vs AFG 2026 Samson-Sooryavanshi opening experiment India have avoided running so far this year.
Would you open with Samson and Sooryavanshi together in at least one of these three matches? Have your say below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Have Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ever opened together?
No, the pair has never opened a T20I innings together for India. All six of Sooryavanshi’s T20I innings so far have come alongside Abhishek Sharma, and this series is their first time together in the squad.
When does India’s T20I series against Afghanistan start?
The three-match series begins on September 13, 2026, in New Delhi. All three games are day-night fixtures at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium, with live coverage on Sony Sports Network and FanCode.
What is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s strike rate in T20Is?
He struck at 196.10 during his Player of the Series campaign against Zimbabwe in July 2026. Across his six T20I innings as opener, he currently averages 32.16 with the bat.
Who is captaining India in the series against Afghanistan?
Shreyas Iyer leads the side, with Tilak Varma named as his vice-captain. Sanju Samson returns to the squad for this series after missing the entire Zimbabwe tour.
How many centuries has Sanju Samson scored as a T20I opener?
He has three centuries batting at the top of the order in T20Is. His average as an opener stands at 34.75 with a strike rate of 182.89.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.