SportsPosted at: Oct 24 2026 12:14PM


Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returns at No. 3 as India opt to bowl

Christchurch, Oct 24 (UNI) Young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will bat at No. 3 as India won the toss and elected to bowl against New Zealand in the second T20 International at Hagley Oval here on Saturday.
India brought in Sooryavanshi in place of the injured Ishan Kishan, while pacer Prince Yadav replaced Mayank Yadav in a tactical change, skipper Shreyas Iyer said at the toss.
The decision to field first was influenced by the possibility of dew later in the evening, Iyer said, adding that the team was keen to sustain its aggressive approach while remaining proactive on the field.
"Everyone is in good shape and space. It's important to maintain aggression, but we need to be proactive," Iyer said.
Sooryavanshi's batting at No. 3 will be one of the key talking points of the contest as India look to make the most of the young batter's inclusion in the playing XI.
New Zealand, meanwhile, made one change, bringing in Jacob Duffy for Adam Milne as part of a rotation of their seamers ahead of a busy period of Test cricket.
Captain Mitchell Santner said his side remained confident despite being below its best in the previous match, adding that the players had used the break to refresh and prepare for the second encounter.
"We know we are a good team. Even though we were a bit off the ball, we still fought hard," Santner said.
Playing XIs:
India: Sanju Samson (wk), 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 (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Vaibhav Sooryavanshi returns at No. 3 as India opt to bowl
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