In India's last three T20I outings, Indian management has not tinkered with the opening combination in order to maintain stability at the top of the batting order, despite teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continuing to impress from the sidelines. Bowling coach Morne Morkel made it clear on Friday that the current opening combination of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma will continue to receive the team's support rather than being replaced after a few inconsistent performances. 

Vaibhav has travelled with the squad but is still waiting for his international debut. Notably, Sanju Samson has endured a difficult run with the bat. The wicketkeeper-batter has struggled to get good scores, registering 5, 0, and 1 in his last three outings. In the two-match T20I series, Samson had disappointing outings. And recently in the first T20I against England, he failed to get going.

“I think we just need to respect the fact that we've got the number one batter, or we had our number one batter, in T20 cricket, Abhishek Sharma. You know, Sanju was the player of the World Cup,” Morkel said at the press conference ahead of the second T20I against England.

“He had a great IPL. So, I think as a coaching staff, it's only fair to show faith and back your players. Yes, there's a young man knocking on the door and it's exciting. But I reckon for not just those two players at the top, but for the rest of the group, it's a good sign that we show that we back you guys,” he said.

“In a day, it's about putting performances on the board. That is the key. But we also don't want to think too much and bat other players out of positions. So, I reckon it's not straightforward. Ok, let's play (Sooryavanshi)," he noted

“It's a matter of backing some of the guys who've won World Cups, who've done really well for you in tough situations, and then also from there, build and see how we can structure and make our top order as good as possible in these conditions,” he explained.

Morkel also highlighted that Sooryavanshi is sharing great camaraderie with other players in the group. 

“I think he's filled in very, very well. You know, I think if you follow the boys on Instagram, there's already a lot of photos being posted, with him especially. At the nets as a 15-year-old at the international stage, it can be intimidating."

“But, I think just the couple of nets we've had, it's been very impressive. And, you know, we're all excited to see how he goes. When he gets an opportunity, I'm pretty sure he'll be ready. But in terms of coming into the squad and fitting in, it's been very smooth,” he said.