Iyer says Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his chance
Shreyas Iyer told Vaibhav Sooryavanshi he must wait for his chance after the teenager was left out of the entire West Indies T20I series.
India captain Shreyas Iyer said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his chance in the T20I side after the teenager was left out of all five matches against West Indies. The series ended in a 2-2 draw when the rain-shortened fifth match was abandoned in Bengaluru on Saturday. Iyer told Sooryavanshi to remain consistent with his process and mindset while stressing that Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have been the settled openers.
Iyer said the two openers have been consistent throughout and that frequent changes could affect team culture. Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar echoed the view, noting that Samson’s ability to respond to criticism with big scores makes it difficult to move on from him. Nayar added that the left-right batting combination also limits Sooryavanshi’s immediate opportunities.
Sooryavanshi has not played a T20I since India’s Asian Games final win over Pakistan. India’s next assignment is a five-match T20I series in New Zealand beginning on 22 October.
CricHubb Take
The selectors’ decision to keep the Abhishek-Samson opening pair intact across five matches shows they are prioritising a proven left-right combination over immediate reward for Sooryavanshi’s IPL form.