• Source:JND

India captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that the team management has a tough selection call to make ahead of the first T20I against Afghanistan in New Delhi.

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are all in contention for the two opening spots. India will begin the three-match series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, but Iyer did not reveal who will open the innings.

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Iyer Calls Selection A ‘Tight Call’

All three batters have strong claims for a place in the playing XI.

Samson was named Player of the Tournament during India’s T20 World Cup campaign, while Sooryavanshi recently won the Player of the Series award during the T20I series in Zimbabwe.

Abhishek, meanwhile, was preferred over Samson when Sooryavanshi made his T20I debut during India’s tour of England.

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Iyer admitted that picking two players from the three would not be easy.

“All three of them, 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,” Iyer told reporters on Saturday.

He also said that the player left out would need the backing of the captain and the head coach.

“And see, whoever gets the opportunity, it’s definitely for the team’s benefit. 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.

Samson, Sooryavanshi’s Recent T20I Run

Both Samson and Sooryavanshi have had mixed results in India’s recent T20I assignments.

Samson played two matches against Ireland and also featured in the first T20I against England before being dropped from the side.

Sooryavanshi was then given opportunities in the second, third and fourth T20Is against England before returning for the final match of the series.

The youngster later impressed in Zimbabwe, where he finished as Player of the Series. He opened alongside Abhishek in all three games, with Samson rested for the tour.

The way Samson and Sooryavanshi were handled during the Ireland and England series had also led to criticism. The Afghanistan series could now give India a chance to settle on their preferred combination at the top.

Iyer Looks To Make An Impact

Sunday’s match will also be another opportunity for Iyer to make his mark with the bat.

India had lost their T20I series against Ireland and England under Iyer’s captaincy before bouncing back strongly in Zimbabwe. They completed a 3-0 series sweep against Zimbabwe.

Ishan Kishan Fit For First T20I

Iyer also confirmed that Ishan Kishan is fit and available for the series opener.

Kishan had suffered a back niggle during India’s training session on Friday and had to walk off the field. However, Iyer said there was no major concern surrounding the left-handed batter.

“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,” Iyer said.

He added that Kishan had been given enough rest after a busy period.

“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,” he added.

With Kishan available and three players fighting for two opening spots, India have a major selection decision to make before naming their XI for the first T20I against Afghanistan.

India squad for Afghanistan series

Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Thakur.

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