India closed the five‑match T20I series 3‑1 over New Zealand, but the final game still hangs in balance.
Former wicket‑keeper Dinesh Karthik told Cricbuzz that the only way to slot 18‑year‑old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into the XI is to give Abhishek Sharma a break, not keep dropping Sanju Samson. "If they want Vaibhav, it has got to be in place of Abhishek, to give him a break," Karthik said.
Samson’s blistering 67 off 33 in Christchurch earned him Player of the Match, but his scores of 14 and 18 in Wellington and Auckland left him shuffled to No. 3 in the third T20I to make space for Sooryavanshi.
The debate follows a 87‑run loss in the fourth match, when New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips smashed 107 off 49 and Jacob Duffy’s four‑wicket haul restricted India to 172/9.
If Karthik’s suggestion gains traction, the final XI could see Abhishek at the top of the order, freeing up a spot for Sooryavanshi and a fresh batting line‑up ahead of the upcoming India‑Pakistan series.
India will next face Pakistan in the historic Chinnaswamy test.