Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s wait for a place in the Indian playing eleven could continue with T20I captain Shreyas Iyer making it clear that they will continue with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as their preferred opening pair in their upcoming five-match series against New Zealand. The series starts on Thursday and marks the beginning of India’s tour of the country that will also include five ODIs and two Tests.
Iyer said that it is important for a player as talented as Sooryavanshi to “always be happy around the dressing room”. “He is very young, he has more years to get opportunities. It’s not like he can walk in right now, because our openers are scoring consistently, and they have won the World Cup,” Iyer told reporters on the eve of the first T20I.
ALSO READ | India vs New Zealand 2026 guide: Full schedule, timings and live streaming details
Since being picked for the England and Ireland tour earlier this year, Sooryavanshi has featured in eight of the 21 T20Is India have played so far as regular openers Abhishek and Samson have been performing consistently. The 15-year-old has made headlines around the world for his big-hitting prowess and his exploits in the IPL last year.
Iyer believes the youngster’s exposure to overseas conditions will help him prepare better for future assignments. “So, if you see, when he is coming overseas, he will get a fair idea how to play on these particular wickets. Next time, whenever he comes in these conditions, he will be very well-prepared. And he can also instruct the other team members, whoever comes here for the first time,” he said.
In eight T20Is that he has played thus far, Sooryavanshi has scored 246 runs at a strike rate of 186.36 and average of 30.75 with two half centuries. Sooryavanshi had consistently played in the Asian Games for India, where they went on to win gold, with Samson dropping down to No.3 to accomodate him.
