IND vs ENG 5th T20: Vaibhav Suryavanshi Dropped After 3 Matches, Sanju Samson Returns

Team India, having already lost the T20 series against England, took a surprising decision in the final match of the series. In an attempt to save their reputation and maintain their top spot in the T20 rankings, the team management decided to make two significant changes to the Playing 11 for the clash in Southampton. The most talked-about decision was the exclusion of young opening batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who was dropped after playing only three matches in his international career. Vaibhav had made his debut in the second match of this very series at the age of 15, and there were high expectations that he would be given a longer run to prove his mettle. However, the management decided to move on after his failure to convert starts into big scores in three consecutive games.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi Dropped After Three Matches

Vaibhav Suryavanshi's international journey began with much promise in this series, but it has hit an early roadblock. In the three matches he played, the 15 year old showed glimpses of his talent by hitting boundaries early in his innings. Despite the aggressive starts, he couldn't capitalize on them. His scores in the three outings were 14, 13, and 15 runs respectively. While many experts believed he would be given one last chance in the final T20, the team management opted for experience by bringing back Sanju Samson. Interestingly, Samson himself had been dropped earlier to make way for Vaibhav after failing to perform in three consecutive matches against Ireland and England. The decision to drop Vaibhav after such a short stint has sparked a debate among cricket enthusiasts.

Changes in the Bowling Department and Player Form

Apart from the opening slot, India made another change in their lineup. All-rounder Washington Sundar, who struggled Importantly with his bowling in the previous match, was excluded from the Playing 11. In his place, the team brought back all-rounder Suryansh Shedge. This move comes as a surprise to some, as other players like Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma have also struggled throughout the series but managed to retain their spots. There were calls from fans and critics to consider dropping Kishan or Varma to accommodate Samson, but the management decided to stick with them for the series finale. The pressure is now on these retained players to deliver a performance that justifies their inclusion in the squad for this crucial final encounter.

Traffic Woes and Toss Update

The start of the match wasn't smooth for the Indian contingent. The team got stuck in a massive traffic jam while traveling to the stadium, which resulted in a delayed arrival, while consequently, the start of the match was pushed back by 30 minutes. The toss finally took place at 7 15 PM, where Indian captain Shreyas Iyer continued his incredible luck with the coin. Iyer won the toss for the seventh consecutive time as captain and elected to bowl first. Despite his perfect record at the toss, Iyer is yet to lead the team to a victory in these matches, a trend he will be desperate to change in Southampton to avoid a complete series whitewash or a further slide in rankings.

Playing 11 for India and England

The final lineups for both teams are as follows:

• India: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
• England: Harry Brook (Captain), Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (Wicketkeeper), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.