Sanju bhai showed his character by giving up opening slot for Vaibhav: Abhishek

Abhishek Sharma praised Sanju Samson for giving up his opening slot to make way for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in India's third T20I against New Zealand, calling the move a reflection of his character and the team's selfless spirit.Sanju Samson showed his character with selfless move to drop himself down the order: Abhishek Sharma (Reuters Photo)New Delhi,Oct 28, 2026 16:22 ISTAbhishek Sharma praised Sanju Samson for putting the team ahead of personal preferences and giving up his opening slot to make way for teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during India's third T20I against New Zealand. The move paid off as Abhishek and Sooryavanshi powered India to a six-wicket win with an explosive opening stand.Abhishek smashed 113 off just 38 balls, while Sooryavanshi contributed 45 off 19 deliveries as the pair added 133 runs in just seven overs. The 15-year-old was promoted to open the innings after batting at No. 3 in the previous match.Sooryavanshi's promotion came after Ishan Kishan sustained a groin injury. Samson, who had scored 61 in the second T20I to win the Player of the Match award, stepped aside to give the youngster an opportunity at the top of the order.Abhishek said Samson's decision reflected his character and highlighted the selfless attitude within the Indian team. "The way Sanju bhai batted in the last game, it is not easy to let go of one's familiar batting position. That showed his character, someone's going at his position. We can see in the team that everyone is selfless, everyone is happy for everyone, which is the hallmark of a great team," Abhishek told Sooryavanshi in a conversation facilitated by BCCI.TV.Abhishek, who struck 11 sixes during his explosive innings, also credited Sooryavanshi for setting the tone with an aggressive start. The teenager opened his account with a lofted boundary, a shot that immediately lifted the momentum at the other end. "When Vaibhav hit the first ball, he showed aggression. I saw that at the non-striker's end, and when you see such a shot, you also feel pumped up. So, special mention and credit to Vaibhav for how he played," Abhishek said, praising the youngster.The left-hander also spoke about Sooryavanshi's enthusiasm for batting, joking that the youngster is often difficult to get out of the nets."If we have two nets, we give one to Vaibhav and tell him, 'Vaibhav, you play,'" Abhishek said.ABHISHEK SHOW IMPRESSES SOORYAVANSHISooryavanshi was equally impressed by Abhishek's assault on the New Zealand bowlers. The teenager offered a humorous take on the left-hander's remarkable innings, suggesting the scorecard might have seemed unbelievable to people back home."How Abhishek bhai played, they were just thrown out of the game. Had the match not been aired live, then people in our village, by looking at the scorecard, would have commented that it must have been played on a rooftop," Sooryavanshi said.The youngster also explained how he approached the third T20I differently after struggling in the previous match at Christchurch. Batting at No. 3, he managed only four runs off eight balls and felt he had moved away from his natural attacking style."Last match, I went against my grain as to how I play in T20s. During the third game, I wanted to give a quick start so that it becomes easy," he said.- Ends