Sooryavanshi Should Open Only, Says Abhishek Nayar Before Final T20I

India go into the decisive fifth T20I against West Indies at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium with a proud record: they have not lost a home T20I series since 2019. A resilient West Indies side has fought back in the five-match contest, though, and Shreyas Iyer’s team cannot afford to relax.

Attention has turned to teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has not played in the series. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma appear to have the team management’s backing as openers, which raises the question of where, if anywhere, he fits in.

Nayar Rules Out a Batting Reshuffle

Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar admitted on JioStar that he is tempted to see Sooryavanshi play in Bengaluru. He insisted, however, that the youngster should be used only in his strongest role, opening the innings. Playing him out of position is something Nayar says he would not want to see.

Nayar also made clear he would not demote Ishan Kishan to accommodate Sooryavanshi, arguing that the No. 3 batter should also play in his best slot. His preference is to leave the batting untouched and tweak the bowling attack instead.

Kuldeep In, Dhir Out

Nayar said he would take a punt on Kuldeep Yadav by replacing Naman Dhir. That would move Nitish Kumar Reddy up one place, followed by Axar Patel, whom Nayar believes has done the floater role well for India. The last four in the order, he said, would all be attacking options.

The bowling combination, he added, will depend on Arshdeep Singh’s fitness. Arshdeep took a blow to the shoulder, and Nayar said he is keen to see how it settles before the team commits to its final attack.

With the series on the line, India’s management must balance the pull of a young talent against the stability of a settled batting order. If Nayar’s view prevails, Sooryavanshi will have to wait for another opening.