Morkel says Sooryavanshi will benefit from team environment even without game time

India bowling coach Morne Morkel said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will benefit from spending time around senior players even if he does not feature in the starting XI for the first T20I against West Indies on Tuesday. The 15-year-old returned from the Asian Games, where he became India's youngest gold medallist after playing in both the semi-final and final.

Morkel said selectors and the captain will finalise the playing XI after assessing player fitness following travel from Japan. He confirmed that the combination used at the Asian Games is one option but added that the team will decide the best XI to win matches rather than guarantee opportunities for any individual.

Sooryavanshi has played eight T20Is since his debut against England in July and earned a Player of the Series award against Zimbabwe. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has previously told the teenager that established players who have performed for a sustained period will not be dropped after a few failures.