Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Team India’s Decision Backfired

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finally returned to India’s playing XI for the second T20I against New Zealand after spending several matches on the bench.

Despite, his comeback did not go as planned, as the 15 year old scored just four runs off eight balls.

While his performance was disappointing, India’s decision to send him at No. 3 instead of opening the innings has raised questions about the team’s plans for the youngster.

Vaibhav came into the side after Ishan Kishan was ruled out of the match due to a hamstring injury. However, India decided to continue with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as their opening pair.

The youngster has made his name as an aggressive opener in domestic cricket and the IPL. Asking him to bat in a different position after keeping him out of the playing XI for so long could make it harder for him to settle into international cricket. He struggled to find his rhythm against New Zealand before being dismissed for four.

India’s team management has backed Samson and Abhishek at the top, but it also needs to decide how Vaibhav fits into the side.

If the team sees him as a long term option, giving him a clear role and a proper run of matches could help him build confidence instead of constantly waiting for an opportunity.

Vaibhav is still young, and one poor innings should not lead to harsh conclusions about his ability. He also needs to work on his fielding, where small mistakes can make a difference at this level.

India must give him enough opportunities to learn from his mistakes. His return against New Zealand should be the start of that process, not another reason to leave him on the bench.