Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Dinesh Karthik believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will need to wait for his chance in the final XI if Ishan Kishan is ready to return to the team for the fourth T20I against New Zealand.
Kishan was ruled out of the second and third game due to a right adductor strain, which he picked up in the opening game of the series. Sooryavanshi replaced him in the playing XI and has returned with scores of 4 and 45.
Karthik said the selection is not tricky and in-form Kishan will return to the team once he is fit.
“I don’t find it tricky at all. If everyone is available, Vaibhav has to wait his turn. These three have been extraordinary. As bad as it sounds, it is a fact. It goes without saying that some of the biggest Super Smash scores are from Auckland, so it is a high scoring venue. We have to wait and see what the pitch is, and what sort of team India and New Zealand will play now that the series is done, now that they can afford to give chances to others if they choose to,” he said on Cricbuzz.
India was able to take an impregnable lead of 3-0 in the series however Karthik urged the visitors to be ruthless in the remaining two T20Is against the hosts.
“I think the default would be to bat with deep batters. I completely understand why they are doing it, and it has produced results, so why not? Winning is a habit, it is a mentality. So, you want to make changes, but not with the attitude of, ‘It is okay if I lose’. So, if it means you have to chase five games, so be it. You don’t want to try to be okay with losing just because you won the series 3-0,” Karthik concluded.
The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Eden Park, Auckland, on Friday.
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