Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane believes India should return to the top-three combination that helped them win the 2026 T20 World Cup, backing Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan to take the opening slots against Afghanistan.

Rahane also stressed that 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should not be rushed, insisting the teenage sensation will get his opportunities as his international career develops.

Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament during India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign, was dropped after a string of low scores on the tour of England. Sooryavanshi was subsequently handed his T20I debut in Manchester and also opened in the Zimbabwe series.

With Samson now back in the squad for the three-match home series against Afghanistan, beginning at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, Rahane feels the veteran batter deserves another run.

“I feel the top three should be the same that played in the World Cup. Samson has done well, but he got dropped after two or three bad innings. I want him to get another chance. Abhishek and Ishan also did well for us.

“Vaibhav will get his opportunities, and his time will come. But for now, I feel the top three should be Samson, Abhishek, and Ishan, who were our contributors in the World Cup,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel on Friday.

‘Sanju is a match-winner’: Rahane welcomes Samson’s return

Rahane was pleased to see Samson back in the T20I setup, pointing to his impact during India’s World Cup triumph and the circumstances surrounding his recent exclusion.

“I am happy to see Sanju Samson back in the team. He was the ‘Man of the Series’ in the World Cup. It has been up and down, and things were happening to him that were not in his control. But he is a match-winner, and his return strengthens the team.”

For Sooryavanshi, Rahane’s message was simple: keep playing the game that earned him his India call-up and avoid putting unnecessary pressure on himself.

“I think he should just play his game right now. He should back the game that led him to come into the Indian team. It is a very early stage for him in his career and in international cricket.

“As of now, there is no need for him to think a lot, and he should be set free. His game will eventually change after two or three years, as much as he keeps playing. It will be important for him to maintain balance. Apart from cricket skills, it is important to stay balanced off the field. That will be a challenge for him.”

Rahane highlights Sooryavanshi’s consistency

Sooryavanshi’s performances across domestic and franchise cricket have already made him one of Indian cricket’s most talked-about young prospects.

Rahane pointed to his IPL performances, India A stint and Duleep Trophy campaign as evidence of the teenager’s ability to score consistently, but believes maintaining mental stability will be just as important.

“If we talk about cricket skills, we saw how well he batted in the IPL and scored consistently. He scored for India A and also made runs for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy.

“He has shown consistency. The only thing for him will be to stay mentally balanced and stable so that he can continue operating the way he does. Yes, he will have to make some tweaks in his game, but there is time for that,” he concluded.