Team India skipper Shreyas Iyer has firmed up on young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s wait for a spot in the T20I playing XI ahead of the series opener against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday, October 22.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was part of the recently concluded T20I series against West Indies, which ended in a 2-2 tie, but the 15-year-old batting prodigy didn’t get a single game, as the team management backed the opening combination of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma in the playing XI, despite the former’s inconsistent performances.
Despite his 151-run campaign in the Zimbabwe T20I series, where he was awarded the Player of the Series, followed by his outing in the Asian Games 2026, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s place in India’s playing XI remains uncertain for the Christchurch encounter, with Iyer reinforcing the need to protect the squad’s winning dynamic.
Iyer on Vaibhav’s Chances in India’s T20I Playing XI
As Team India prepares for the opening match of the five-match series against New Zealand in Christchurch on Thursday, skipper Shreyas Iyer addressed media queries regarding Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s potential inclusion in the XI.
Speaking at the press conference, Iyer stated that Vaibhav has plenty of time ahead of him and stressed the importance of keeping the teenage prodigy integrated within the team environment rather than rushing him into the playing combination.
“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 opportunities,” Shreyas Iyer said.
“It’s not like he can walk in right now, because our openers are scoring consistently, and they have won the World Cup,” he added.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his international debut in a T20I series against England, registering scores of 14, 13, and 15 in his first three outings before he was dropped from the playing XI, before getting on top in a three-match T20I series against New Zealand and the Asian Games 2026, where he got a valuable run of games at the top of the order as Sanju Samson shifted down to No. 3.
Why was Vaibhav Included in the India T20I Squad for the NZ Tour?
Further speaking on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s place in India’s T20I playing XI, Shreyas Iyer stated that having the youngster experience overseas conditions firsthand serves a vital developmental purpose, even if he has to bide his time for a regular starting spot.
“So, if you see, when he is coming overseas, he will get a fair idea of how to play on these particular wickets,” Iyer said.
“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 added.
In his T20I career, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has aggregated 246 runs, including 2 fifties, at an average of 30.75 and an impressive strike rate of 186.36 in 8 matches.
In T20 Cricket, the 15-year-old has amassed 1723 runs, including 4 centuries and 8 fifties, at an average of 42.02 and an exceptional strike rate of 214.83 in 42 matches.