No Sooryavanshi, No Party? Openers Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson Fall Cheaply In IND Vs NZ 5th T20I

India openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson endured a disappointing outing in the fifth T20I against New Zealand in Hamilton on Sunday. Asked to bat first by New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, India suffered an early setback as both batters failed to make an impact. Abhishek scored just one run, while Samson managed only four off 10 balls.

No Sooryavanshi and openers struggle

It marks the second consecutive game that the Indian openers failed to make a mark. In Auckland, chasing 260 to win, Abhishek managed 27 and Sanju could only add 4. The Men in Blue eventually succumbed to a 87-run loss.

On Sunday, the onus was on the openers to get a good start with India batting first. However, Abhishek and Sanju both departed in quick succession putting pressure on the rest of the batting order.

The openers' struggles also brought attention to the continued absence of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from India's playing XI. The 15-year-old played the 2nd and 3rd T20I when Ishan Kishan was injured. Opening in the 3rd game, he scored 45 and put a record partnership with Abhishek. Despite that, he was benched when Ishan returned from injury.

Sooryavanshi has struggled to make it to the team despite showing his brilliance in the limited opportunities he has received in the line up. The 15-year-old finished the IPL as the leading run getter and also played a key role in the Asian Games gold medal win.