The growing clamour for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to get a place in India’s playing XI has finally been answered, with the 15-year-old included in the side for the second T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday.
India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl, confirming two changes to the playing XI. Sooryavanshi comes in for the injured Ishan Kishan and will bat at No. 3, while Prince Yadav replaces Mayank Yadav as a tactical change.
The teenager’s inclusion comes after calls for him to play gathered momentum following his omission from the series opener.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri had highlighted the growing interest in Sooryavanshi, saying even New Zealand supporters were asking when they would get to see him in action.
“I was walking down the river yesterday, and a few Kiwi fans asked me, ‘Is the 15-year-old kid playing tomorrow?’. He’s warmed the bench long enough; you don’t wanna lose his form,” Shastri reportedly said while commentating during the first T20I.
Sooryavanshi had been left out of the first T20I, extending his wait for a place in the playing XI. India had retained their established opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, both of whom played key roles in the T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year.
The 15-year-old earned his place in the national set-up after a record-breaking IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals. Despite an impressive tour of Zimbabwe, he had struggled to secure a place in the starting XI against the West Indies and was also left out of the series opener against New Zealand.
His inclusion comes as India look to build on their 1-0 lead in the five-match series after a four-wicket victory in the opening match. Samson scored 67 off 33 balls, while Naman Dhir struck an unbeaten 42 off 15 deliveries. Iyer also contributed 42 off 28 balls as India chased down New Zealand’s 225/4 with two balls to spare.
New Zealand made one change, with Jacob Duffy replacing Adam Milne as captain Mitchell Santner opted to rotate his seamers.
Playing XIs
India: Sanju Samson (w), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (w), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets his chance in 2nd T20I against NZ after growing calls for his inclusion
