Ashwin says Sanju keeps Vaibhav out of India XI

Ravichandran Ashwin said Sanju Samson is doing enough to keep 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of India's T20I playing eleven. The former India spinner made the comments on his YouTube channel after India defeated West Indies by 14 runs in the third T20I at Indore on October 11.

Ashwin acknowledged that Sooryavanshi deserves more opportunities but faces stiff competition for an opening slot. He said the management views Abhishek Sharma as untouchable because the left-hander can win matches on his own. Abhishek Sharma scored 69 off 30 balls in Indore, continuing his strong run on difficult pitches.

Samson has scored 96 runs across the three T20Is against West Indies, including 82 in Ranchi. Sooryavanshi has remained on the bench for the third consecutive match despite being named in the squad. Ashwin noted that such selection battles are common in international cricket.