Vaibhav Suryavanshi dropped from India's T20I playing eleven

Young cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi was excluded from India's playing eleven for the first T20I against Afghanistan, a decision that drew criticism from fans and former players alike. Suryavanshi, who recently performed strongly in Zimbabwe with an average of over 50, was replaced in the lineup by Sanju Samson.

Captain Shreyas Iyer described the selection as a difficult decision. The Indian squad for the match also saw the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy. While Suryavanshi was sidelined, the team included Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakravarthy.

Former cricketer Krishnammachari Srikant expressed disappointment over the omission, suggesting that dropping a player who has performed well at various levels, including the Duleep Trophy and IPL, could send a negative message to the squad.