New Zealand plot to stop Sooryavanshi ahead of India T20Is
New Zealand have studied Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's aggressive batting and formulated plans to challenge him in home conditions.
New Zealand have done their homework on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old has already struck at 250 in the IPL, and the hosts know the left-hander will arrive with that same intent when the five-match T20I series starts on Thursday.
Pacer Jacob Duffy said the team had watched every innings and mapped out the gaps. The difference this time is the surface: New Zealand pitches offer more bounce than the ones he faced in England, where short balls were the first line of attack.
Duffy brings his own momentum into the series. He won the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal as New Zealand's top player in 2025 and was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL-winning squad.
CricHubb Take
The plans are ready, but Sooryavanshi's place in India's XI is not guaranteed. If the selectors keep faith with the current openers, New Zealand's homework may sit unused until the next white-ball tour.