NZ vs IND 2nd T20I: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi back in India XI but in new batting role

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returned to India’s playing eleven for the second T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday, but the young batsman will have to wait for his chance to open the innings after being slotted in at number three.

Sooryavanshi came into the side in place of the injured Ishan Kishan, with India captain Shreyas Iyer confirming his batting position at the toss. India won the toss and elected to field, with Iyer citing dew as one of the reasons for the decision.

NZ vs IND 2nd T20I: Update | Scorecard

India retained their opening combination despite Sooryavanshi’s return while Prince was brought in behind Mayank in a tactical change.

Iyer said the team had recovered well from the opening match and wanted to maintain their aggressiveness while improving their fielding position, especially in the final.

New Zealand made one change, with Jacob Duffy replacing Adam Milne as captain, Mitchell Santner rotating his seamers with a busy Test schedule.

Sooryavanshi’s return adds an interesting subplot to the competition, with the young batsman appearing in a new role rather than at the top of the order.

India Playing XI: Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav

New Zealand Playing XI: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (WK), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson

(more to follow)

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