Abhishek Nayar Urges India to Give Sooryavanshi Final T20I
Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has urged captain Shreyas Iyer and head coach Gautam Gambhir to give teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi an opportunity in the final T20I against West Indies, provided India first secure the five-match series.
Nayar Wants India to Give Sooryavanshi a Chance
Sooryavanshi has remained on the bench through the opening three matches of the series despite being part of India’s T20I plans.
Nayar said India’s immediate priority should be to close out the series before experimenting with the combination. However, if the series is secured before the fifth match, he wants the team management to bring Sooryavanshi back into the playing XI.
The 15-year-old has already played eight T20 internationals, scoring 246 runs at an average of 30.75, including two half-centuries.
Samson Keeps Sooryavanshi Out of Playing XI
Sanju Samson has continued as India’s preferred opener alongside Abhishek Sharma, limiting opportunities for Sooryavanshi.
Gambhir has previously defended that approach, arguing that established combinations should not be broken after only a few poor performances.
The India coach has also stressed that selection decisions will be based on team requirements rather than public or social-media pressure.
India Urged to Secure Series Before Experimenting
Nayar’s suggestion is built around giving younger players opportunities without compromising India’s objective of winning the series.
He argued that India should field its strongest combination until the series is secured and then use the remaining game to test players such as Sooryavanshi.
The teenager remains one of Indian cricket’s most closely watched young batters after rapidly progressing through domestic, Under-19 and international cricket.
