“Sanju also deserves a lot of credit” - Former opener’s massive remark after India’s emphatic win in NZ vs IND 2026 3rd T20I

Former India opener Wasim Jaffer believes Sanju Samson deserves credit for giving up his opening spot to allow Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to partner Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order in the third T20I against New Zealand. The match was played in Wellington on Tuesday, October 27.

Chasing 199, India’s openers Abhishek and Sooryavanshi put on a 133-run stand off just 43 deliveries. Abhishek smashed 113 off 38 balls, including nine fours and 11 sixes, while Sooryavanshi contributed 45 off 19 deliveries. Batting at No. 3, Samson scored 18 off 13 balls as India cruised to a six-wicket victory in 13.2 overs, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

Speaking on his YouTube channel (Wasim Jaffer Official), the 48-year-old noted that giving up one's batting position is not easy. He praised Samson for putting the team's interests first, adding that every team needs players like him. Jaffer said:

“I feel Sanju also deserves a lot of credit. It's not easy to give up your batting position when you have scored so many centuries and runs at that number. Sanju is a team man, and you want players like him in your team. He can play both fast bowling and spin well. Even though both are left-handers, they are extremely explosive batters. So, Sanju deserves credit for giving up his batting position for Vaibhav.”

Jaffer also discussed Sooryavanshi's performance, stating that the youngster needs to score more runs in international cricket, as it poses a different challenge compared to the IPL. He added that the 45-run knock would provide him with a significant confidence boost. Jaffer said:

“And Vaibhav also played well today. He needs a few more runs in international cricket. You know, the IPL is a different thing, and international cricket is a different challenge. So, somewhere along the line, you need that assurance. It's not that he hasn't scored runs in international cricket. He has scored quite a few runs in his short career, but you need the assurance that you can score runs at this level as well. Although he scored only 45 runs, I'm sure that would have given him a lot of confidence.”

The 15-year-old has scored 295 runs in 10 T20Is for India at an average of 29.50 and a strike rate of 185.53, including two half-centuries.

“Shows that the IPL and franchise cricket are different from international cricket” - Wasim Jaffer on under-fire India seamer

In the same discussion, Wasim Jaffer talked about India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has struggled considerably, claiming just one wicket in three games while conceding runs at an economy rate of 11.58. He noted that international cricket poses a different challenge from franchise cricket and that the experienced pacer is taking time to rediscover his form. Jaffer said:

“We have also been talking about Bhuvneshwar Kumar, saying that he should be brought into the team. Bhuvi has struggled so far, which shows that the IPL and franchise cricket are different from international cricket. International cricket is a different challenge altogether.

“So, Bhuvi is also taking some time to get back to his best. As we were discussing earlier, we felt that Bhuvi should be brought into the team, and he absolutely deserved that opportunity. There was nothing wrong with that decision. However, it takes some time to find your rhythm again when you return to international cricket,” he added.

The two sides will next meet in the fourth T20I in Auckland on Friday, October 30.

Looking for fast live cricket scores? Download CricRocket and get fast score updates, top-notch commentary in-depth match stats & much more! 🚀☄️