Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored just four runs in the 2nd T20I against New Zealand. Ex-India batter S Badrinath suggested replacing him with Varun Chakaravarthy, insisting that Sanju Samson should retain his opening spot.
The young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his return to India’s playing XI for the second T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, October 24.
Sooryavanshi was included in India’s playing XI after Ishan Kishan was ruled out of the second match of the series due to a low-grade right adductor strain that he sustained during the first T20I against New Zealand. The 15-year-old batted at No.3 and scored just 4 runs off 8 balls before he was dismissed by Nathan Smith.
Though Team India won the match by four wickets and took a 2-0 series lead after chasing down the 181-run target on the final ball, thanks to a 69-run partnership between Tilak Varma (51*) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (26*), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s inclusion at No.3 sparked debate, as he could not capitalize on his opportunity, leaving him under scrutiny ahead of the 3rd T20I in Wellington.
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Drop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi After One Failure?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returned to India’s playing XI after warming the bench for the entire T20I series against the West Indies and the opening match against New Zealand. However, his much-anticipated opportunity in Christchurch ended in disappointment after struggling to adjust to the conditions and the pace of the New Zealand attack.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cric It Badri, former India batter S Badrinath stated that India would be better off tactically by replacing the 15-year-old batter with mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy to add crucial depth to the bowling attack.
“Instead of playing Sooryavanshi at No. 3, India can play Varun Chakaravarthy in the XI. The players down the order are doing well right now, so why not go for a bowler like Varun?" Badrinath said.
"New Zealand's scores of 220 and 180 could easily have been restricted to 200 and 160 in the first two games," he added.
Varun Chakravarthy has been out of action for India after sustaining abdominal strain during the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in September and was ruled out of the West Indies T20Is in October, leaving him out of competitive action and forcing India to rotate their slow-bowling options in recent months.
‘The Position is More Important than Player’
Further speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath emphasised that preserving natural batting roles is crucial for team stability and fair player management, adding that Sanju Samson has done brilliantly in the opening role.
“It's unfair to Sanju Samson if he has to sacrifice his opening spot for Sooryavanshi. Yes, Sooryavanshi has thrived only as an opener, but Samson is doing brilliantly as an opener,” the former India batter said.
“Though Samson has done well for Rajasthan Royals at No. 3, I think Sooryavanshi needs to wait. The position is more important than the player. I definitely will not disrupt Sanju Samson," he added.
Despite inconsistent performances since the T20 World Cup 2026, Sanju Samson has continued to be backed by Team India management as a designated opener alongside Abhishek Sharma, following their dominant partnership in recent series.
Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the third T20I as he is yet to recover from his low-grade right adductor strain. In his absence, uncapped Kumar Kushagra will continue to remain in the squad as backup.
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