Murali Kartik and Sadagoppan Ramesh question team decision to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at number three

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi batted at number three for the first time during the second T20I between India and New Zealand in Christchurch. Before this game, he had never played in that position for the Indian team. Many former players and experts felt he should be opening instead.

Match Performance

Sooryavanshi came into the team in place of injured player Ishan Kishan and took over the number three spot. He scored four runs from eight balls and looked uncomfortable while batting. Former Indian spinner Murali Kartik criticized the decision while speaking on Sony Sports. Kartik said a young player who only knows one way of batting should not be placed in the middle order. Another former Indian cricketer, Sadagoppan Ramesh, said on his Instagram channel that the youngster likely panicked when told he would bat at number three. Ramesh noted that Sooryavanshi's main strength is opening the innings to look for boundaries right from the first ball. Despite these struggles, India still managed to win the match.

Context

Batting positions in cricket shape a player's mindset and the team's overall strategy. Experts often debate the best roles for young talents when they step into the senior national side.