Sanju Samson's margin for failure shrinks as 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi waits impatiently outside India's XI

Team selectors had backed Samson by benching 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had just starred versus Zimbabwe with knocks of 50 off 19, 20 off nine, and a match-winning 81 from 49.

37 strike rate—inconsistency has lingered over his international tenure. Following that global tournament, the right-hander registered scores of 5, 0, and 1 across series against Ireland and England, prompting selectors to trial Sooryavanshi before Samson offered a brief 27 off 14 in the England finale and sat out the Zimbabwe fixtures.

With an in-form challenger waiting in the wings, Samson faces heightened pressure to deliver sustained returns at the top of the order.

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