IND vs NZ 2nd T20I: Will Sooryavanshi play? India batting coach Kotak says not 'because people like him'

India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has called the hype around 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 'not good for the batter and the team.' The statement comes on the eve of the second T20I against New Zealand, which is set to be played on Saturday (Oct 24) in Christchurch. Sooryavanshi is in line to play in the second T20I after Ishan Kishan, who picked up an injury during the first T20I, was ruled out of the second match. Vaibhav last played in India's Asian Games gold medal-winning match against Pakistan and has missed four T20Is since - three against West Indies at home and the first one against New Zealand, which India won by four wickets.

India batting coach on Sooryavanshi's game time

"He is really young, but the way everyone in the team management takes care of him - I keep an eye neutrally - and everyone likes him, social media likes him, the team also likes him. But you can't make changes to the XI because people like him," India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on the eve of the second T20I.

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"I felt that at the start, there was a lot of hype that 'he has to play'. I genuinely felt that wasn't good for the player also. Just a 15-16-year-old boy, and everyone saying 'he should play' and 'he isn't being picked' and so on. He is too young. It's something I can't control but it's sad. And it's sad for the other openers also, who are performing but people are saying 'why is he playing'," he added.

Sooryavanshi in T20Is

Sooryavanshi made his T20I debut in July earlier this year after having a blockbuster IPL 2026 where he scored 776 runs - the most by any player - to win the Orange Cap. In the eight T20Is played, Sooryavanshi has scored 246 runs at an average of 30 and a strike rate of 186 with two fifties and a highest score of 81.