Vaibhav Suryavanshi may have to wait for NZ tour chance, says captain Shreyas Iyer

The T20 International series between India and New Zealand is set to begin on October 22. Ahead of it, there is much talk about 15-year-old batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Captain Shreyas Iyer has made a significant remark on whether he will get a chance to play on the New Zealand tour.

The T20 International series between India and the West Indies ended recently. Five matches were played in the series, but Suryavanshi did not get a chance to play in any of them. Several former players questioned his absence from the playing eleven. Fans also demanded on social media that he be played.

The year 2026 has otherwise been very good for Suryavanshi. He has got only limited opportunities with the Indian team so far, but made an impressive showing in them. He was in India's playing eleven for the Asian Games. Even so, he did not get a chance to play in the series against the West Indies.

After the series ended, Iyer explained why Suryavanshi was kept out of the team. He said Suryavanshi will have to wait for his chance.

According to Iyer, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have been playing well as openers for India for some time, and so they are being given preference. Iyer made it clear that when a place opens up for Suryavanshi, he too will get a chance to play for a long period. The interview suggests that, for the team management, Suryavanshi is not for now a first-choice player. He will therefore remain in the squad as a reserve opener.

Meanwhile, Samson's form had fluctuated over the past few months. After failing in four successive matches, he made a strong comeback with 82 runs in the second T20 against the West Indies. He also hit a half-century in the fourth T20.

For this reason, Samson is very unlikely to be left out of India's playing eleven for the New Zealand tour. The team management has, for now, placed its faith in Samson. This means Samson may be seen playing in the eleven in place of Suryavanshi.