IND vs NZ, 1st T20I: Team India’s 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is under spotlight once again ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 22, Thursday. With Sooryavanshi not getting an opportunity in the last two bilateral T20I series, several fans are eager to see the left-hander’s name in the XI. But is Sooryavanshi playing in the series-opener against the Black Caps?
IND vs NZ, 1st T20I: Is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi playing in the series-opener in Christchurch?
As it stands, the Rajasthan Royals star has been left to warm the bench yet again, with Team India retaining Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as the opening pair despite their inconsistency in the recently-concluded 2-2 result against the West Indies at home. At the same time, a host of cricketers will be playing T20I cricket in New Zealand for the very first time. Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer, who won the toss, announced two changes to the side, bringing in Mayank Yadav for Prince Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy for Shivam Dube. Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy was not included despite being in the squad.
IND vs NZ, 1st T20I: What did Shreyas Iyer say about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s inclusion?
Speaking at the press conference on October 21, Wednesday ahead of the first T20I, Iyer praised the amount of talent Sooryavanshi has but felt he cannot walk into the XI straight away. He explained, as quoted by Cricbuzz:
“It’s important that a talent like him should always be happy around the dressing room. He is very young. He has more years to get the opportunity. It’s not like he can come and walk in straight away, because our openers are consistently scoring and they have won the World Cup. In a way, if you see, when he is coming overseas, he will get a fair idea how to play in these particular wickets. So, next time whenever he comes in these conditions, he will be very well prepared. In a way, he will also get the motivation that I want to score runs here. He can also instruct other youngsters who will come for the first time.”
India and New Zealand had also met in the T20 World Cup 2026 final earlier this year.
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