Watch: India Stars Fail To Recognise AI-Generated Vaibhav Sooryavanshi In Viral 1980s Makeover

A Retro Raga, Out of Tune: The Boys Who Didn't Know Their Own Song

There's a certain poetry in what happened with the Indian squad the other day. The BCCI, caught up in the nostalgia wave sweeping social media, fed the team's portraits through AI to conjure them as 1980s icons — the hairstyles, the fashion, the old Bollywood-frame look. Most of the lads recognised themselves in the retro mirror. But not the boy wonder, not young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Fifteen years old, fresh-faced, he looked right past his own 1980s avatar and simply couldn't place him. A small, gentle laugh shared among teammates — the kind of moment that reminds us these lads are kids first, cricketers second.

The Real Question On Everyone's Mind

But beyond the fun lies a genuine dilemma, and it's a beautiful one to have. When India take on Afghanistan from Sunday in the opening T20I of the three-match series, who opens the thinking — the no-holds-barred fire of Sooryavanshi, or the seasoned flair of Sanju Samson?

The story in England was telling: Sooryavanshi was drafted in over Samson, yes, but by the final game, the young one had to make way for his senior's return. Samson-Abhishek Sharma has been the more stable pair in this format. One can only hope Gambhir and skipper Shreyas Iyer find room for both before the Asian Games fixtures in Japan.

Net Session Notes

During Friday's evening practice, Samson looked slightly more in control, while Sooryavanshi received a masterclass in movement from Jasprit Bumrah — perhaps just adjusting after three back-to-back red-ball games. But here's the thing: the Afghan attack offers none of Bumrah's quality. Their pace and bounce could suit the youngster's minimal footwork and "stand-and-deliver" approach perfectly.

Dropping Samson after just three failures felt unfair to some. Yet the Sooryavanshi euphoria had grown so loud that management, for all its talk of staying insulated, had to listen.

One scenario to watch: if Ishan Kishan — who had a back injury scare Friday — is ruled out, both Sooryavanshi and Samson could end up playing. Only time will tell what the XI looks like.

With PTI Inputs

Source: NDTV Sports