Shreyas Iyer admits to having to make ‘tough call’ between Samson, Abhishek and Sooryavanshi: ‘Player sitting out…’

India's T20I captain Shreyas Iyer remained tight-lipped on who will play as the two opening batters in the first match of the three-game series against Afghanistan on Sunday. With Sanju Samson , Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi all available, it would be a real headache for both Shreyas and head coach Gautam Gambhir to narrow down on two. In the official pre-match press conference, Iyer admitted that it would be a tough call and that the final verdict would be taken later.

Recently, Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old, was the Player of the Series in Zimbabwe. However, he only got to open in all three matches alongside Abhishek because Samson was rested for the tour. Earlier, the team management took a lot of flak for the treatment of Samson and Sooryavanshi during the tour of Ireland and England.

Also Read: Sanju Samson ‘no small name’, Gambhir urged to stick with him ahead of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: ‘Difficult conundrum’

Both Samson and Sooryavanshi got three games each and were dropped owing to poor performances. Samson played two against Ireland and the first against England, while the left-hander played the second, third and fourth T20Is against the Harry Brook-led side. Samson made his way back for the final game but was then rested for the Zimbabwe tour.

The task becomes all the more difficult considering how Samson was the T20 Player of the Tournament earlier this year, owing to his match-winning performances against the West Indies, England and New Zealand. Hence, the task is cut out for both Shreyas and Gambhir.

“All three of them (Abhishek, Sanju and Sooryavanshi), having them in the team is a luxury first of all, and they are flawless in their own departments. Well, it is going to be a tight call because they have been performing consistently. And see, whoever gets the opportunity, it's definitely for the team's benefit,” Iyer told reporters on Saturday.

“And the player sitting outside, it's important that I have an interaction with him, along with the coach and give them that confidence. That you know what, no matter what, you will get your opportunity when the day comes,” he added.

The Indian captain also confirmed that Ishan Kishan is fit and raring to go for the first T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. On Friday, the left-handed batter received a blow to his body and walked off during the training session. However, Iyer confirmed that there's nothing to be worried about.

“I feel that he is comfortable at the moment. I interacted with him after the practice session. It was just a small niggle, and he has been playing continuous cricket. We all know the knock he played in the Duleep Trophy. So, definitely a bit fatigued. But today he got that rest, and I am sure that he will be fine for tomorrow,” said Iyer.

Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium.