Will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi play in IND vs WI decider? The former Indian coach shares the verdict

Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar would like to see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi get an opportunity in the fifth T20I against West Indies, but believes India should not disrupt their batting order to accommodate the teenager. With the series level at 2-2, Nayar feels any changes should come in the bowling department rather than at the top of the order.

India will take on the West Indies at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. after losing the fourth T20I by 24 runs in Hyderabad. Speaking on JioHotstar, Nayar explained why Sooryavanshi should only be considered if India is ready to use him in his natural position as an opener.

“I am very tempted. Are you going to play Vaibhav Suryavanshi out of position? I would not like to see that. If Vaibhav Suryavanshi is playing, he should play in his strongest position which is opening,” said Nayar.

“If he opens, whoever is playing at No.3 should play in his strongest position. No matter how much I am tempted and want to see Vaibhav Suryavanshi, even in Bengaluru I would make changes in bowling and not at all in batting,” he added.

THE FORM OF THE OPEN PAGES WILL DRIVE THE SOORYAVANSHI DEBATE

India’s opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have had mixed results in their four matches. Abhishek scored 139 runs, including 69 off 30 balls in Indore, while Samson made 152, highlighted by his 82 off 41 balls in Ranchi and 56 off 23 balls in Hyderabad. Their quieter outings have kept the selection debate alivethough both made important contributions during the series.

However, Sooryavanshi is not an uncapped player waiting for his first taste of international cricket. The 15-year-old made his India debut against England on July 4 in Manchester, where he scored 14 off 10 balls, including two sixes. He went on to play all three T20Is in that series, scoring 13 and 15 in the next two matches.

The left-handed opener had a stronger impact on India’s tour of Zimbabwe later in July. He hit 50 off 19 balls in the first T20I, followed it up with 20 off nine and then smashed 81 off 49 in the third match. He finished the series with 151 runs and was named player of the series. Overall, Sooryavanshi scored 246 runs in eight T20Is at a strike rate of 186.36, with two half-centuries and a top score of 81.

However, his last run was a stop-start. After missing India’s three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, Sooryavanshi returned to the playing eleven at the Asian Games, scoring 38 off 21 balls against Sri Lanka and 15 off 9 against Pakistan. He was again on the bench during the ongoing West Indies series, with India continuing to support Abhishek and Samson at the top.

Bowling coach Morne Morkel has urged the youngster to use the time around the senior players to further develop even if he is not selected.

“We all know Vaibhav’s talent, I think the more time he spends in that environment with quality players, the more time he trains at that standard, it’s only going to be great for his cricket,” Morkel said.

He added that observing how experienced batsmen prepare and build their innings can be valuable for Sooryavanshi.

INDIA IS FACED WITH A DIFFICULT CHOICE

Head coach Gautam Gambhir also emphasized on the difficulty of leaving out an established batter to accommodate Sooryavanshi, with the selection decision focusing on the combination that India believe gives them the best chance of winning. The management must weigh the teenager’s attacking potential with the experience and recent contributions of its existing openers.

India’s bowling could be a more immediate problem after West Indies piled up 247/3 in Hyderabad before winning by 24 runs.

As India prepares for the series decider in Bengaluru on Saturday, the team management has to decide whether to stick with the existing opening pair or give Sooryavanshi another opportunity to make his mark at the international level.

However, Nayar feels any changes should come in the bowling department, with the teenager only being considered if India are willing to play him in his preferred opening position.

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