Sanju Samson Under Pressure as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Waits for Debut

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes Sanju Samson cannot afford too many failures with young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi waiting in the wings, following India's disappointing start to the T20I series against Ireland.

India, led by new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, suffered a 34-run defeat in the opening match of the two-game series in Belfast on Friday. The loss has intensified calls for 15-year-old Sooryavanshi to be handed his international debut in the second and final T20I at the same venue on Sunday.

For the series opener, the Indian team management retained the opening pair of T20 World Cup 2026 heroes Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, leaving Sooryavanshi on the bench. Whether the teenage batting prodigy gets his opportunity in the next match remains one of the biggest talking points ahead of Sunday's contest.

Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament during India's successful T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year, failed to make an impact against Ireland. The wicketkeeper-batter managed only five runs from four deliveries before being dismissed.

Speaking on Sony Sports Network after India's defeat, Manjrekar said both Samson and Abhishek Sharma must remain alert because of the growing competition for places at the top of the order. “But Sanju Samson needs to be careful because Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is breathing down his and Abhishek Sharma's necks,” Manjrekar said on the Sony Sports Network.

Despite backing Sooryavanshi's immense talent, Manjrekar felt the youngster alone would not have been able to change the outcome of the opening game. He explained that the difficult chase required an explosive start as well as sustained momentum, making the task challenging regardless of who opened the innings.

“I think he would have done what Abhishek did, slightly better, maybe. A chase where you had to do everything in the first six overs. You had to carry that momentum for the rest of the overs as well. So he could have made things a little easier in the chase, but the target became just too big, and conditions weren't easy. And you saw in the tri-series in Dambulla as well how the sixes weren't coming as often to him,” Manjrekar said.

The former India batter also pointed out that Sooryavanshi had experienced similar challenges during the tri-series in Dambulla, where clearing the ropes consistently proved difficult. While he believes the youngster may have made a difference during the Powerplay, Manjrekar maintained that there is currently no vacancy at the top of India's batting order.

“And it was a reminder, and I'm very glad that you know I said that earlier as well, that people got an idea as to how sixes are not so easy to hit. So Vaibhav would have managed it in the first six overs, but he also would have had his work cut out later. And to answer your question, I don't think it would have made that much of a difference unless you want to play him down the order. Middle order, there is some place there, but at the top, I don't think there is any place,” he added.