Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could get a well deserved chance in the playing XI for the IND vs NZ 2nd T20I on Saturday. The 15-year-old has been on the bench given Shreyas Iyer and coach Gautam Gambhir have opted to continue with the Samson-Abhishek partnership at the top.
However, an injury to Ishan Kishan has now opened the door for Sooryavanshi to get a game after 6 matches on the sidelines.
Ishan Kishan injury opens doors for Sooryavanshi
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed that Kishan was suffering a groin injury and unlikely to feature in the 2nd T20I on Saturday. Ishan did feature in the first game of the tour, but did not bat at his usual No.3 spot, with Tilak Varma featuring instead.
"Ishan had a strain in his groin. He is unlikely he will play tomorrow’s match as well. If Ishan doesn’t play, unless he recovers completely, which the medical team will advise, Vaibhav could definitely step in for him. He is one of the strongest contenders," Kotak told reporters in Christchurch.
The BCCI later announced that Kishan was indeed ruled out of the 2nd T20I with his further participation dependent on assesment.
"Ishan Kishan is ruled out of the second T20I against New Zealand due to a low grade right adductor strain, which he sustained during the first T20I of the series. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress," BCCI said in a social media statement.
Sooryavanshi has been a star attraction ever since he has broken onto the scene. The 15-year-old made his debut in the England tour earlier and featured in the Zimbabwe series. He also played in the Asian Games, but was benched for the entire series against West Indies.
A return to the XI is not straightforward, with India needing to change their batting order to accommodate. Despite his player of the match performance in the first game, Sanju Samson might have to drop down to No.3, with Sooryavanshi likely to partner Abhishek at the top.
