Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has said that India may have repeated a familiar tactical error by dropping Sanju Samson and going back to a fully left-handed opening combination. According to Kaif, the move risks creating the same kind of selection imbalance India faced earlier in their successful T20 World Cup campaign.

Samson was left out of the playing XI for the second T20I against England, allowing 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his international debut. The teenager showed promise with a brisk 14 off 10 balls before being dismissed by off-spinner Will Jacks. England’s off-spinner enjoyed a highly effective spell against an Indian top order that featured only one right-hander in the top seven, conceding just 22 runs in his three overs. India eventually fell short by four wickets and went 1-0 down in the five-match series.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif said India had already learned during the T20 World Cup that a right-left opening pair gives bowlers fewer easy match-ups. When Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan opened together, opposing teams repeatedly turned to off-spin early, often with encouraging results. Samson’s eventual entry into the side disrupted that pattern and gave India a much better platform at the top.

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“India is making the same mistake that they did in the World Cup. Ishan and Abhishek were opening. They got an off-spinner, and they started getting out. Till they did not get a big defeat, Sanju was not playing,” Mohammad Kaif said.

He added that India should not ignore the value of balance just because Samson had a couple of quiet outings. In Kaif’s view, the wicketkeeper-batter’s overall record and ability to convert starts into big scores make him too important to leave out for long.

“One right-hander and one left-hander is the right way to go, which we saw in the World Cup. We were struggling against off-spinners. But with Sanju coming in, that got solved. You are making the same mistake here. Abhishek and Vaibhav cannot be your long-term openers. You need to have a right-hander at the top,” he said.

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Kaif further suggested that India should restore Samson to the opening slot and think about moving either Abhishek Sharma or Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to No. 3. For him, the bigger issue is role clarity, especially in a long series where players need to know exactly where they fit.

“You will have to bring Sanju in. Either Abhishek or Vaibhav can play at three. There is no other choice. You will have to think long-term here,” Mohammad Kaif said.