Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Is Not Playing India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I Match?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Source: AFP Photos)On Sunday, India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss, and opted to field first for the first T20I against Afghanistan, which took place at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. While confirming the India playing XI, he left everyone stunned by informing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would not be in action.While Shreyas did not reveal any specific reason for dropping Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from India’s playing XI, he confirmed Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma will open for them.Rotation Policy Leaves Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Out Of India XISooryavanshi, 15-year-old and has taken the world by storm with unreal batting prowess, was in action during the recently-concluded India vs Zimbabwe T20Is.There, he got to shine in all three matches. His scores read 19-ball 50, 9-ball 20 and 49-ball 81, showing the world what he could achieve in the coming days if given the chance.Yet, Shreyas Iyer and his boys decided not to carry on with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at the top, bringing the unrequired rotation policy to the table.This will be Afghanistan’s first T20I match since the T20 World Cup 2026. To be more specific, they did not have a T20I match since February 19, with the last match in this format came against Canada.India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I Playing XIsIndia XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun ChakaravarthyAlso Read: Sanju Samson's Record vs Afghanistan As India's Opening Dilemma Intensifies For 1st T20IAfghanistan XI: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq FarooqiIndia vs Afghanistan 1st T20I: What Did Captains Say?Shreyas Iyer: "We are going to bowl. Whenever you come to Delhi, you know what the pitch has got to offer. We have played a bit of matches over here so based on that and looking at the conditions.[on his captaincy] It has been a roller coaster ride but in our previous series against Zimbabwe, there were a lot of positives. The boys were optimistic in approach. That's the attitude we gotta carry in this series as well.[on Bumrah's availability] It's a luxury to have him in the squad. He's experienced and he carries lot of great attitude when it comes to winning matches. We know he's a match winner and how he can contribute.[on team news] Vaibhav, Washington and 2 more are not playing. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma to open."Ibrahim Zadran: "[What he would have done?] We would have bowled first as well, unfortunately we lost the toss. Now we have to think about batting.[On hosting a game against India at Delhi] Yeah, it is a great feeling for us. It is a pleasure to host India in India. We are trying to have a good series against them.[On support] Yeah, we have got lots of support from the fans in the past. Just requesting the fans to come and support us, give the energy to the players.[On team news] Naveen is not playing, Noor Ahmad, Abdullah Ahmadzai are not playing. Naveen is not match-ready for today. We will think about him for the second and third game."India and Afghanistan will play three T20Is, with Delhi hosting all three matches, on September 15 and 17 after Sunday’s encounter.Also Read: India vs Afghanistan Live Streaming, Telecast- Where To Watch 1st T20I Live? AFG vs IND In India 2026