The India vs New Zealand T20I series is underway in Christchurch, and one of the biggest talking points is the absence of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the playing XI. The 14-year-old prodigy has made headlines over the last year with his performances. Yet he has been in and out of the Indian team.
The left-handed batter also did not get an opportunity during India's five-match T20I series against West Indies on home soil a couple of weeks ago. His continued absence has raised questions among fans about why he is not being included in the playing XI.
What Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is Not Playing?
A day earlier in the Press Conference, Shreyas Iyer said Sooryavanshi is still very young and has plenty of time to earn opportunities at the international level.
"He is very young and has many years ahead of him to get opportunities. It is not as if he can walk into the team right now because our openers are scoring consistently and have won the World Cup," Iyer said.
The Indian captain also stressed the importance of keeping a young talent like Sooryavanshi happy and comfortable within the dressing room.
"It's important that a talent like him is always happy around the dressing room," Iyer said on the eve of the five-match series against New Zealand.
He further explained that travelling overseas would help Sooryavanshi understand different playing conditions and prepare for future opportunities.
"When he travels overseas, he gets a fair idea of how to play on these kinds of wickets. The next time he plays in similar conditions, he will be much better prepared," Iyer added.
Related Stories
New Zealand vs India 1st T20I: Toss Update and Playing XIs
The toss took place in Christchurch with India winning it and decided to bowl first in the opening game. Below are the playing XIs of both teams.
Playing XIs of Both Teams
India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav
(more to follow)