'Situation unfair to Sanju; why drop him for another player?', Former CSK superstar opines

NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer S Badrinath suggested that Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson continue as openers for India in the next ten T20 matches. Badrinath is no fan of swapping openers every series, and believes consistent opportunities would elevate the performance of players. He also urged that the practice of alternating between Sanju and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi be stopped.

With Sanju returning for the Afghanistan series, Sooryavanshi—who had performed impressively during the Zimbabwe tour—did not get a chance to play in the first two matches.

"Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson should open in the next 10 T20S after this series. If Sanju fails to meet the expectation during that period, he could then be dropped in favour of Sooryavanshi. This approach should be followed, rather than constantly rotating the two across series. I feel the current situation is unfair to Sanju." Said Badrinath.

Abhishek Sharma delivered an impressive performance in the first T20 match against Afghanistan, scoring 82 runs off just 32 balls, including seven sixes and seven fours. India chased down the target of 157 runs with 38 balls to spare. This performance cemented Abhishek's spot in the team, shifting the discussion to who would open alongside him. Although Sanju was dismissed for 10 runs in the first match, he put up a brilliant performance in the second, smashing 57 runs off 22 balls.

"Sanju performed exceptionally well and has now scored a half-century. In my opinion, he should be given consistent opportunities through the end of the year. Sanju has scored two centuries and has even led India to a World Cup victory. Although he hasn't produced extraordinary performances like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju deserves a place in the team. Given this, why drop him just to accommodate another young player? A decision can be made after giving him a sustained run of opportunities," said Badrinath.