{
  "id": 13036275,
  "title": "‘It cannot happen’: Ex-India cricketer rules out Sooryavanshi replacing Samson",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/it-cannot-happen-ex-india-cricketer-rules-out-sooryavanshi-replacing",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T05:18:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/india-vs-west-indies/it-cannot-happen-ex-india-cricketer-rules-out-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-replacing-sanju-samson/articleshow/134809313.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sanju Samson's place in India's T20I lineup remains under scrutiny following a series of modest performances, but former India opener Aakash Chopra believes replacing him with vaibhav Sooryavanshi is not an option at this stage. Although Samson has managed selective scores in his last four T20I innings, including a five-over contest against Japan, recent form has been uneven. The emergence of the young batter has added another layer to the selection debate, with Sooryavanshi opening alongside Abhishek Sharma in the Asian Games. India has reverted to the opening combination of Samson and Abhishek, the duo that played together in the T20 World Cup-winning campaign. Despite Sooryavanshi's potential, Chopra dismisses the possibility of him replacing Samson for the second T20I, asserting that it simply cannot happen. He emphasized that questioning Samson's position after every failure is detrimental to cricket management. Chopra also touched upon the possibility of including Nitish Kumar Reddy, expressing a desire to see the all-rounder given a chance but acknowledging that India's management may differ in their approach. India heads into the second T20I in Ranchi with a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after securing an emphatic eight-wicket victory in Lucknow.",
  "summary": "After lackluster performances in the T20I series against the West Indies, Sanju Samson is under fire from critics. Aakash Chopra advises against dropping him for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, asserting that Samson's previous accomplishments merit further chances. Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar Reddy's entry into the squad is debated but seems unlikely imminently. The talks surrounding India's opening…",
  "key_points": [
    "Former India opener Aakash Chopra dismisses Sooryavanshi replacing Samson.",
    "Samson has shown selective scores in last four T20I innings.",
    "India retains Samson and Abhishek Sharma as opening duo."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Former cricketer Aakash Chopra believes India's management should not question Sanju Samson's position after every failure, and instead give opportunities to other players like Nitish Kumar Reddy.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}