India vs Afghanistan T20I Series: India's three-match T20I series against Afghanistan begins on September 13, but the biggest question for Gautam Gambhir and the team management may come before the first ball is bowled. With Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi all in the squad, India have three strong options for two opening spots.

The series will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17. Afghanistan are officially the hosts despite all three matches being staged in the Indian capital. Shreyas Iyer will captain India, with Tilak Varma named his deputy.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Strengthens His Case

Sooryavanshi has made his case difficult to ignore. The 15-year-old produced a remarkable IPL 2026 campaign for Rajasthan Royals, finishing with 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.30. He also scored a 103 off 37 balls during the season.

His international performances have strengthened that claim further. During India's 3-0 T20I series win over Zimbabwe, Sooryavanshi scored 151 runs at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10. He made 50 off 19 balls in the opening game and followed it with 81 off 49 in the third T20I. He was named Player of the Series.

That run of form makes his omission from the playing XI a difficult call, particularly with India already having experimented with different opening combinations during their recent T20I assignments.

Where Does Sanju Samson Fit?

Sanju Samson's return has added another layer to the selection puzzle. He is back in India's T20I squad alongside Abhishek and Sooryavanshi, while Ishan Kishan also provides another wicketkeeping-batting option.

Abhishek has established himself as one of India's leading aggressive T20 batters, making him another difficult player to leave out. That leaves the management with a straightforward but complicated question: which two players should open?

A potential Abhishek-Sooryavanshi partnership would give India an extremely aggressive left-handed opening combination. Samson, meanwhile, brings experience and the ability to change the course of a T20 innings.

The middle order already contains several established options, including captain Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel. Finding a suitable role for Samson or Sooryavanshi lower down the order could therefore be equally challenging.

With the Afghanistan T20I series approaching, India's opening combination is set to be one of the key selection calls. The competition is not being driven by a lack of form, but by an abundance of proven options.