Sooryavanshi In, Abhishek Out? Dinesh Karthik’s Straightforward Advice to Gambhir
Sooryavanshi originally got his chance in the second and third games only because Ishan Kishan was out with a groin injury. After struggling at number three with just 4 runs in the second match, the youngster smashed a quick 45 off 19 balls as an opener in the third game. However, once Kishan recovered for the fourth T20, Sooryavanshi was left out on the bench.
XtraTime Webdesk: Former Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has shared some straightforward advice for head coach Gautam Gambhir and the Indian team management ahead of the fifth and final T20 match against New Zealand. If the team wants to bring 15-year-old batting talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi back into the starting eleven, Karthik believes they should give regular opener Abhishek Sharma a rest rather than moving or dropping Sanju Samson.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik pointed out that Samson is almost always the one asked to adjust whenever there is talk of fitting Sooryavanshi into the lineup. After scoring a match-winning 67 in the first game in Christchurch, Samson was pushed down to number three in the third T20 so Sooryavanshi could open. Karthik insisted that if the coaches really want the teenager to play on Sunday in Hamilton, giving Abhishek a well-deserved break is the fairest approach.
Sooryavanshi originally got his chance in the second and third games only because Ishan Kishan was out with a groin injury. After struggling at number three with just 4 runs in the second match, the youngster smashed a quick 45 off 19 balls as an opener in the third game. However, once Kishan recovered for the fourth T20, Sooryavanshi was left out on the bench.
That decision backfired as India lost the fourth match by 87 runs while chasing 260, with both Samson and Kishan getting out early. With India already leading the five-match series 3-1, resting Abhishek would allow Samson and Sooryavanshi to open together in the final game.
