India will play Afghanistan in the second T20I of the three-match series on Tuesday, September 15, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. India currently lead the series 1-0 after winning by seven wickets in the opening match. A win in the second match will give Shreyas Iyer's side an unassailable lead and secure the series.
Despite the dominant result in the first T20I, India has a few selection questions to answer before the second match. The biggest one involves Sanju Samson and teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Samson was paired with Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order in the opening T20I, whereas Sooryavanshi watched from the sidelines. But Samson managed only 10 runs before being dismissed. That has once again brought to light the question of his place in the XI, as well as Sooryavanshi waiting for an opportunity.
Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi replace Sanju Samson?
Sooryavanshi coming into the XI has become one of the biggest talking points ahead of the second T20I. The 15-year-old has already made a strong impression in international cricket and was named Player of the Series during India's last T20I match against Zimbabwe.
Sooryavanshi had also come to India's England T20I tour earlier this year. So his omission from the first match against Afghanistan was a surprise to some fans, especially given Samson was back in the opening combination.
Samson’s recent run of scores has also added pressure. He had scored only 33 runs in four innings before the Afghanistan series and then managed just 10 in the opening match. With India already 1-0 ahead, the management could decide that the second game is the right opportunity to give Sooryavanshi another chance.
If that change is made, Abhishek Sharma could remain at the top with Sooryavanshi. Ishan Kishan would then remain an important option in the batting order and also provide wicketkeeping cover.
Samson's experience means that his exclusion is far from certain. Some predictions have suggested that India could retain him and avoid making a change after just one game. ESPNcricinfo's preview, for instance, indicated that there was little reason for India to change the XI after such a strong opening performance.
Varun Chakravarthy's absence creates another change.
India will definitely have to make at least one change because Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of the remaining games of the series with a side strain. He had recovered from a hamstring injury for the opening game and bowled well, taking one wicket and conceding only 16 runs in four overs.
The two most likely candidates to replace him are Ravi Bishnoi and Washington Sundar. Bishnoi is the preferred option as he offers a like-for-like specialist spin option in the middle overs. Washington, on the other hand, would also add more batting depth along with his off-spin.
The bowling combination will also be important because Hardik Pandya is unavailable. In the first game, India struggled to find a reliable fifth bowling option. Shivam Dube conceded 21 runs in the final over, while Nitish Kumar Reddy gave away 30 runs in his two overs. Abhishek Sharma also bowled one over.
Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are expected to continue leading the pace attack. Arshdeep took three wickets in the first T20I, while Bumrah marked his return with an early wicket. Axar Patel is also expected to retain his place.
India's possible playing XI for 2nd T20I
Based on the selection possibilities and reports ahead of the match, India’s probable XI could be:
Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.
This combination would give Sooryavanshi an opportunity at the top while replacing the injured Varun with Bishnoi. It would also leave India with several all-round options in Dube, Nitish, and Axar.
In any case, this is a probable XI and is not the confirmed team. Some have predicted that Samson will retain his place, while others have backed Suryavanshi to make his T20I return.
The second T20I begins at 7:30 PM IST at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. India will need one more victory to complete the three-match series, while Afghanistan must win to keep the match alive.
