Sooryavanshi was left out to accommodate a fit-again Ishan Kishan in the fourth T20I.
Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has advised the team management to rest Abhishek Sharma rather than dropping Sanju Samson if they want to fit teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi back into the playing XI.
India currently lead the five-match T20I series 3-1, despite suffering a heavy 87-run defeat in the fourth T20I at Eden Park. In that match, Sooryavanshi was left out to accommodate a fit-again Ishan Kishan.
The decision to bench Sooryavanshi sparked significant public debate, especially after his explosive knock of 45 in just 19 balls in the third T20I at Wellington, where India chased down the massive target of 199 with 40 deliveries to spare.
Amid the outrage, Karthik categorically stated that Samson shouldn't repeatedly be the one sacrificed to make room for others.
Samson started the series exceptionally well, smashing a match-winning 67 off 33 balls at Christchurch. Though he followed it with low scores of 14, 18, and 4, Karthik believes the wicketkeeper-batter deserves an extended run in his stable position.
“I know the world will want Vaibhav to play. If they want to play Vaibhav, it has got to be in place of Abhishek, to give him a break, and that is how it should be. Every time there is anything related to Vaibhav, it is always Sanju. If you want to really fit in Vaibhav, Abhishek can take a break. The key word here is break," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
During the Afghanistan T20I series in September, India head coach Gautam Gambhir had made it clear that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his chance, calling it an exercise of patience rather than a setback for the youngster.
"From Vaibhav's point of view, it was again a very clear conversation that he has to wait for his opportunity. We know the kind of talent he has. We know what he can do. But again, someone who's done extremely well over a period of two years, obviously, will always be ahead of someone who's just got into the team.
"So, whenever he gets that run, he will get a longer run as well. And that is what Indian cricket is all about. We want competition. We want that talent in the dressing room. But that's how cricket goes. Whether you're a 15-year-old or a 30-year-old, when you have to wait for your opportunity, you have to wait for your opportunity," Gambhir had remarked.
On the eve of the first T20I against New Zealand, India skipper Shreyas Iyer had echoed similar sentiments, insisting that the 15-year-old had plenty of time to establish himself in international cricket.
"It's important that a talent like him (Sooryavanshi) should always be happy around the dressing room," Iyer had told reporters. "He is very young, he has more years to get opportunities. It's not like he can walk in right now, because our openers are scoring consistently, and they have won the World Cup."
It remains to be seen whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returns to India’s playing XI for the series finale, scheduled for Sunday (November 1) in Hamilton.