Ravichandran Ashwin Questions Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Batting Position in T20I Against New Zealand

Ashwin's Concerns Over Sooryavanshi's Role

New Delhi: Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed his doubts regarding the decision to place the young batting talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at the No. 3 spot during the second T20I against New Zealand. He believes that this unfamiliar position hindered Sooryavanshi's ability to perform naturally and suggested that Sanju Samson should take on that role if the team aims to include all three players in the lineup.

Sooryavanshi made his debut in the series in Christchurch after Ishan Kishan was sidelined due to injury. Unfortunately, the young player struggled, scoring only four runs off eight balls, while Samson and Abhishek Sharma maintained their spots at the top of the batting order.

During a post-match analysis, Ashwin refrained from harsh criticism of Sooryavanshi but highlighted the concern of placing him in a different batting position. He stated, “That is a miss. For a young cricketer like Vaibhav, ‘miss’ is too early, I think, to say, but because I have only two options of a hit or a miss, he just found himself a little like a fish out of water. He kept going hard, kept going hard for the eight balls.”

Ashwin's evaluation focused more on the challenge of adjusting to a new batting order rather than the brief innings itself. Known for his aggressive style, Sooryavanshi seemed unable to find his footing against New Zealand, with Ashwin suggesting that he needed guidance from a more experienced teammate.

He elaborated, “It did not feel like he was ever timing the ball, and that is when you need a senior partner to walk down to him and say, ‘Calm down, just hang in there, look to play close to your body, watch the ball better.’ Sometimes, as a batter, all you need to be told is to watch the ball closer. You do miss that in all the action that happens around you. So I just felt like he was a fish out of water. Walking in during the sixth over is not his cup of tea.”

Ashwin also proposed a potential solution to India's selection dilemma, recalling that the team had previously utilized Samson in the No. 3 position when all three batters played together. He suggested that the wicketkeeper-batter could move down the order, allowing Sooryavanshi to bat in a position that better suits his strengths.

He remarked, “Look, I think they played this combination before, and Sanju had to skip down to number three. If they are going to go with this combination, I am not too sure Vaibhav has got to bat at number three, but it is what it is. Today it was a miss for Vaibhav.”

This discussion arises as India continues to evaluate their batting combinations throughout the five-match T20I series. With Samson and Abhishek at the top, the management's strategy for integrating Sooryavanshi will be crucial in the upcoming matches, especially if they want to maintain the young player's aggressive instincts without placing him in an unfamiliar role.

Despite Sooryavanshi's difficulties, India's middle and lower-order batsmen showed promise in the second T20I. Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Naman Dhir made significant contributions as India successfully chased down New Zealand's total of 180, showcasing the depth beyond the top order.

Ashwin praised the power and composure of the lower-middle-order batsmen, particularly highlighting Ramandeep's ability to handle both pace and spin effectively.

He stated, “India’s middle order is coming through nicely. That is six, seven, and eight. It looks pretty dangerous. All of them can belt the ball. Naman Dhir is a very good hitter of pace bowling. He is showing that he can really club spinners as well. To stand and hit a spinner of Mitchell Santner’s pedigree is no joke, and that tells you the ability of a batter. He looks unflappable when he is batting. Great temperament.

“Tilak Varma is echoing great temperament. I am not too sure about Nitish’s temperament yet, but there is enough power for teams to be concerned about when they come up against India’s lower middle order and middle order. It is a big hit for me,” the former all-rounder concluded.