Why Vaibhav Suryavanshi is Not Opening Today in IND vs NZ 2nd T20I? Explained

India and New Zealand are facing each other in the second T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. After winning the series opener, the Men in Blue will look to maintain their winning momentum, while the Kiwis will aim to bounce back and register their first victory of the series.

India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl first. However, he left fans surprised by revealing that Vaibhav Suryavanshi had been included in the playing XI, albeit in an unexpected role.

Why Vaibhav Suryavanshi is Not Opening Today?

The 15-year-old batter will feature at No. 3, a position he is not accustomed to playing. Suryavanshi has primarily opened the innings since making his international debut. However, he has replaced the injured Ishan Kishan, who usually bats at No. 3.

India have decided to retain their regular opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, which means that Vaibhav Suryavanshi batting position is No. 3 for this encounter.

Suryavanshi has not batted in the middle order throughout his career so far. However, the presence of two of the best T20 batsmen at the top means that he will have to change his batting position for this match.