Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif believes the team management made the right call to demote Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to the number three position in the second T20I against New Zealand.
Sooryavanshi was part of India’s playing XI at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Saturday after Ishan Kishan was ruled out with a groin niggle.
However, Sooryavanshi struggled to get going while batting at one drop. The youngster could only manage four runs off eight balls and was also dropped once.
Kaif said it is unfair to judge Sooryavanshi by a couple of chances as he is getting his opportunities sporadically in the final XI.
“It will be unfair if we judge Vaibhav by an innings or two right now, given the phase he is going through. He won the Orange Cap a few months ago in the IPL. He was in great form but had to wait for a spot. For someone who is not used to waiting, who has been playing regularly, it has been stop-and-start. And number three is also not his natural spot. But I feel it was the right call. If you open with him and break the in-form pair of Abhishek and Samson, and then with Ishan coming back, you will have to shuffle a lot then. There will be a lot of shuffling. But by sending him at three, they did not change the batting order, which was the right decision,” Kaif said in a video on his YouTube channel.
The former UP batter highlighted that the youngster will need to adjust to the new role for the team.
“This is a format where a lot of players adjust, even in different positions. Take Naman Dhir itself. That flexibility has to be there. I am sure it would have been tough after not playing and going directly to number three. But thinking from the management’s perspective, if Ishan is fit, he comes back at three. So it was definitely the right call. We have to see what Vaibhav can do when he gets more chances,” he said.
The third T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Hnry Stadium, Wellington on Tuesday.
Image credits: Joe Allison/ Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
