IND vs WI 2nd T20The second T20 match between India and the West Indies is scheduled to be played in Ranchi. Vaibhav Suryavanshi is very fond of the conditions in Ranchi; he set a world record in the last white-ball match he played there.
This raises the question: will Gautam Gambhir give Vaibhav Suryavanshi the opportunity he deserves in the second T20 against the West Indies in Ranchi? Will he step beyond his usual stance and alter the team's opening pair for the Ranchi T20I?
Will Gambhir go back on his word and field Vaibhav?
Gautam Gambhir recently stated clearly that Vaibhav Suryavanshi would have to wait for his turn. He explicitly mentioned that the opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson was his first choice. Gambhir had decided to field Samson alongside Abhishek as openers based on their performances during the T20 World Cup
Vaibhav Set a World Record in His Last Match in Ranchi
However, the focus is now on Ranchi, where people have witnessed Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s brilliance. Everyone remembers the explosive performance Vaibhav delivered during his last match in Ranchi a List A fixture in December 2025.
While playing his previous white-ball match in Ranchi against Arunachal Pradesh, Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest batter in the world to score a List A century. By achieving this feat on December 24, 2025, at the age of 14 years and 272 days, Vaibhav broke a 39-year-old world record previously held by Pakistan's Zahoor Elahi
Broke AB de Villiers' Record in Ranchi
Vaibhav Suryavanshi played an innings of 190 runs off 84 balls at a strike rate of 226.19, featuring 15 sixes and 16 fours. During this knock, he completed his century in just 36 balls. Furthermore, by reaching the 150-run mark off his 54th ball, he broke AB de Villiers' record for the fastest 150 runs in List A cricket; de Villiers had achieved the feat in 64 balls.
Why Should Vaibhav Be Selected?
Given his performance in the previous white-ball match played in Ranchi, Gautam Gambhir would be justified in including Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the playing XI for the second T20I.
It would not be surprising if this were to happen, considering that Sanju Samson lacks experience playing in Ranchi and, more importantly, his current form suffers from a significant lack of consistency.
Also Read: Why did Nana Patekar give up cricket? He had shared the field with Sunil Gavaskar
