Will Ishan Kishan’s injury be Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s gain? 15-year-old in the 2nd T20I against New Zealand

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (BCCI Photo) One match into India’s tour of New Zealand and the familiar fitness concerns have already surfaced. Ishan Kishan was ruled out of the second T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday after suffering a low right adductor strain during the series opener on Thursday. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak revealed that Ishan was dropped down the order in the first T20I due to injury. While the BCCI statement said the medical team is monitoring his progress, no timetable was given for his return. Kumar Kushagra was added to the team as cover.The setback could finally pave the way for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has spent the last nine matches on the doldrums. The team’s management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, resisted calls to rush the 15-year-old, despite the hype surrounding his talent. However, with uncertainty surrounding Ishan’s recovery, the teenager may now be given an opportunity in far more challenging conditions than those at home.Sooryavanshi took part in an optional training session on Friday along with Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Dube and Kuldeep Yadav. He has spent considerable time in the nets under Kotak’s watch, which is a clear sign that the team wants him ready when needed. If the team management decides to deviate from its template of playing eight batsmen and field a spinner, Sooryavanshi may have to wait.Few young cricketers have generated as much excitement as Sooryavanshi in recent years. His performances in the IPL and age-group cricket have raised expectations and fans, pundits and social media alike have been eager to see him in India colors more regularly. Still, management believes patience will benefit it more than premature disclosure. The challenge in New Zealand will be vastly different: a bigger pitch, movement off the pitch and through the air and little room for error. The investigation could be tougher than anything he’s ever encountered.Kotak believes the teenager has already matured since first joining the national team. “He’s much more mature now. He understood why he wasn’t playing. He never complained. He works on his fielding and conditioning and keeps watching others’ batting. The lessons you learn at this level are very different and he has to absorb them too,” Kotak said.While acknowledging the popularity surrounding the youngster, Kotak cautioned against letting public sentiment dictate team selection. “Everybody likes him. The public likes him. Social media likes him. The team likes him. But you can’t make changes in the XI just because people like a player. He’ll learn a lot once he starts playing, but initially there was too much hype around his place in the team,” he said.“I really felt it wasn’t good for the players either. For a 15-year-old, anyone telling him he has to play doesn’t give him much space. He’s still very young. It’s unfair to other players who are also playing. People involved in cricket should think about whether they’re helping or just creating noise.”Sooryavanshi has already captured the imagination of fans through his IPL exploits. If selected, the next step will be to prove that it can thrive when conditions are much less forgiving.