Teen opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returns to India XI against New Zealand
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The gist
India opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, returned for the second T20I in Christchurch after six straight games out.
A teenage record-breaker still struggles to hold his place.
Background
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a 15-year-old left-handed opener who became India's youngest international in the men's game when he debuted in the T20 series in England in July 2026, soon after a Player-of-the-Tournament run in the IPL (Indian Premier League). He also became the youngest player to score a half-century in men's international cricket, with an 18-ball fifty against Zimbabwe. He has 246 runs in eight T20Is at a strike rate above 186, but has played only seven further games out of India's 19 in this stretch, and the debate over whether he should be in the XI has grown during India's tour of New Zealand.
How it unfolded
- Jul 2026Sooryavanshi made his T20I debut in England, becoming India's youngest international in the men's game.
- Oct 18, 2026Reports said he did not play a single game in India's five-match T20I series against West Indies.
- Oct 19, 2026Former India opener Aakash Chopra said Sooryavanshi faces an uphill battle to break into India's T20I XI, after the West Indies home series ended 2-2.
- Oct 20, 2026New Zealand paceman Jacob Duffy said NZ had scouted Sooryavanshi and had plans for him before the five-match series starting at Christchurch's Hagley Oval.
- Oct 22, 2026Sooryavanshi sat out the first T20I in Christchurch; India won the opener to lead 1-0.
- Oct 23, 2026India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said the hype around Sooryavanshi is not good for him or the team; Sooryavanshi was likely to play Saturday after Ishan Kishan strained a right adductor.
- Oct 24, 2026Sooryavanshi returned for the second T20I in Christchurch after six consecutive T20I games out, with Ishan Kishan ruled out by a groin strain.
Who’s saying what
- Caution
- India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said the hype around the 15-year-old has not helped him or the others, and that you can't change the XI just because people like a player.
- Analysts
- Former opener Aakash Chopra said Sooryavanshi isn't getting chances because no place is being created for him, and suggested releasing him to play the Ranji Trophy if he stays on the bench.
- Expert
- Former India spinner Murali Kartik backed keeping the existing opening pair, saying he wouldn't make a change for the sake of it, though an opportunity could come if an established batter has a prolonged lean patch.
- Party
- New Zealand paceman Jacob Duffy called Sooryavanshi an incredible talent who strikes the ball hard and consistently, and said NZ held a good scouting session on him with plans in place.
Still unverified
Reports said the team management was understood to be considering Varun Chakravarthy as an alternative for the second T20I, which would have meant extra bowling instead of a like-for-like batting change.