Ashwin questions Sooryavanshi's No. 3 position after four-run knock
Ravichandran Ashwin questioned Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's No. 3 position after the 15-year-old scored four runs off eight balls in India's second T20I against New Zealand.
Ravichandran Ashwin thinks the middle order is coming through nicely, especially Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ramandeep Singh, after they helped India chase 180. Ramandeep impressed him with his power against both pace and spin, while Tilak showed strong temperament. Ashwin remains unsure about Nitish’s temperament but believes the lower middle order can trouble any opposition.
The same game saw 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi come in at No. 3 after Ishan Kishan’s injury and score four off eight balls. Ashwin felt the youngster looked uncomfortable and needed a senior partner to calm him down. He said that if India want to keep Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson in the same XI, Samson should move up to No. 3 instead.
CricHubb Take
Sooryavanshi's discomfort at No. 3 highlights the challenge of integrating young players into unfamiliar roles under pressure. Ashwin's suggestion that Samson should bat at three if all three are to play together offers a potential solution that preserves Sooryavanshi's preferred opening position.