Cheteshwar Pujara wants Sanju Samson to open the innings with Abhishek Sharma in first T20I vs West Indies in Lucknow and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should wait for his turn.
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Team India batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi(Photo: IANS)
IND vs WI 2026 1st T20: Team India will kick off a five-match T20I series against West Indies with the first match at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on TuesdayBut one cricketer set to miss the opening clash with be 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav SooryavanshiAs India return to play T20I cricket in their home country, Sooryavanshi is set to make way for an additional pacer – possibly Mayank Yadav – in the first game.
But former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara believes that the Rajasthan Royals opener will learn a lot by just being with the team and could end up playing if there are injuries in the squadSpeaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan’, Pujara said, “I would go with Sanju Samson because he is an experienced player who has won a World CupYou can’t suddenly make a change when someone is performing well just because you have an exceptional talent sitting on the benchSanju Samson is equally talentedHe has also performed really well and is actually at his peak right nowYou still have some years left of Sanju Samson, so try and make the most of it.
“There will be injuries in between, so Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will definitely get opportunitiesIt’s not like he won’t get a chanceAnd it will be good for him only, even if he isn’t in the playing XI; he can learn a lot of things by staying with the squadAs he matures, he will get his opportunitiesIndia are playing a lot of T20 matches, so it’s not like he won’t get a chance all year, but he will have to wait for his opportunity,” Pujara said about opening partner of Abhishek Sharma in the first T20I vs West Indies.
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Pujara believes that the pitch at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow could offer some help to the pace bowlers and batting would not be a straight forward task for India and West Indies.
“Bowlers won’t mind the Lucknow wicketGiven how it plays, there is a bit of help for fast bowlers as well as spinners, and batting isn’t that easyThe advantage for the Indian team is that after playing in Japan, the pitches there weren’t that easy for batting, so the batters will be a bit prepared for a slowish wicket or if the ball turns a bitSo, when the first match kicks off at Ekana, the Indian team might be slightly prepared with respect to the pitch, but may not be when it comes to the turnaround time,” Pujara felt.
India will once again bank on world No2 batter Abhishek Sharma, who will be feeling confident after smashing 61 in 28 balls in Asian Games 2026 gold medal match against arch-rivals Pakistan a few days back.
On Abhishek Sharma’s potential battle against off-spinner Roston Chase, Pujara said, “When we talk about Abhishek, it was a very short phase when he wasn’t at number oneGiven his strike rate, his consistency, and the starts he gives Team India, he is probably one of the most exceptional players in the T20 formatHe has the ability to remain at number one for a long time because he has shots on both the off-side and leg-sideHe had a slight dip in form during the World Cup, but he made a comeback from that and reached number one again.
“But at the same time, Roston Chase could be very important from the West Indies’ perspective because he is probably their best off-spinner, and they would want him to bowl in the powerplayIndian left-handers have struggled a little bit against off-spinAbhishek has gotten much better against off-spinners now, so it won’t be easy for Roston ChaseStill, his role will be very important because there are many left-handers there in the Indian line-up,” the former Saurashtra batter felt.
