Team India's Sooryavanshi drop backfires after Kishan duck
Team India's call to drop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and bring back Ishan Kishan backfired in the fourth T20I against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland. Kishan fell for a duck in the first over as India slumped to 172 for 9 chasing 260, leaving eng ind fans asking why a teenager who had just scored 45 was sidelined.
The selection switch was meant to strengthen India's batting after Kishan recovered from a groin injury. Instead, it put the spotlight on a teenager left out despite strong form, and on a comeback that lasted only three balls. For more sports-adjacent explainers and money-angle reads, see our Wealth Hacks & Passive Income hub.
Key Takeaways
- India replaced 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with Ishan Kishan for the fourth T20I at Eden Park.
- Kishan was dismissed for 0 in the opening over; Sanju Samson also fell for 4 to Jacob Duffy.
- Sooryavanshi had scored 45 off 19 balls while opening in the third T20I.
- New Zealand posted 257 for 7, Eden Park's highest T20I total, before India finished on 172 for 9 chasing 260.
- Stephen Fleming backed India's rotation message, while Aakash Chopra questioned Sooryavanshi's long-term role.
What exactly happened in the fourth T20I?
According to The Times of India, India made two changes for the fourth match of the five-game series: Kishan came in for Sooryavanshi, and Mayank Yadav replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Kishan had missed India's previous two T20Is with a low-grade right adductor (groin) strain. His return was expected to firm up the middle of the order. That hope ended quickly. New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy struck twice in the first over, removing Samson for 4 and Kishan for 0.
Kishan's comeback lasted three balls. Duffy bowled a good-length delivery; Kishan tried to help it along while sitting down, the ball took the toe-end, and Duffy completed a simple return catch. India were already in early trouble.
Earlier, New Zealand had piled up 257 for 7. Glenn Phillips smashed 107 off 49 balls with six fours and 10 sixes. Michael Bracewell added 65 off 25. The Times of India reported that total as the highest-ever T20I score at Eden Park. Mayank Yadav led India's bowling with 3 for 48; Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy took one wicket each.
The News Mill reported that India were restricted to 172 for 9 while chasing a target of 260. India already held an unassailable 3-0 series lead and were chasing a clean sweep; the batting reboot did not deliver that statement win.
Why did dropping Sooryavanshi after 45 spark a backlash?
Sooryavanshi is 15. He played the second and third T20Is after Kishan was injured. NDTV Sports noted he batted at No. 3 in one of those games and opened in the third, scoring 45 off 19. Captain Shreyas Iyer called the batting of Abhishek Sharma and Sooryavanshi in that third-match win "absolutely stunning" after India sealed the series.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra argued the teen should not be treated only as cover for injured seniors. Speaking on his YouTube channel, as quoted by The News Mill, Chopra said the third T20I batting was very good and that, philosophically, Sooryavanshi was the one who might make way for a fit Kishan. But he stressed this was a dead rubber.
"The decision to drop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi leads to a bigger question. Will you play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi only when someone is injured? Or when someone is unavailable? If that is the case, you can send him home," Chopra said. He urged the team to share a clear roadmap and called the absence "a little disappointing."
NDTV Sports reported Sooryavanshi has played 10 T20Is across England, Zimbabwe and New Zealand, with two half-centuries at a strike rate of 185.53. Leaving out a player with that early impact, right after 45 off 19 that helped lock a series, is why the call felt like a step backwards to many viewers.
Did Team India have a selection defence for the switch?
Yes, and it came from outside the dressing room as much as inside it. Former Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming, speaking on Sony Sports as reported by NDTV Sports, backed India's rotation approach and called it a "great message."
Fleming argued T20 cricket demands high skill and risk, and that players who feel their place is under constant threat start second-guessing instead of playing at the edge of their ability. "His time will come, he will be that person, that incumbent," Fleming said of Sooryavanshi.
Ravichandran Ashwin has also argued for giving the teenager breathing space and for retaining Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan at the top in T20Is. Ashwin said he hopes the "young boy gets that breathing space" and becomes a poster boy for Indian cricket in time, without the pressure of oversized statements too early.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar's omission sat beside the batting debate. The Times of India said he missed out after struggling to make an impact since returning to the side, with Mayank Yadav preferred. That bowling change at least produced wickets; the batting change did not produce runs.
What does the Kishan return mean for India's T20 road map?
Short term, Kishan's duck undercut the case for an automatic return over in-form youth in a dead rubber. Medium term, Chopra's question still hangs: is Sooryavanshi a genuine contender, or only injury cover?
India had already won the series 3-0 before Auckland. That context matters. Management could have used the fourth T20I to blood or reward the teenager who had just helped seal the rubber. Choosing the returning senior instead signals continuity at the top and trust in Kishan's role once fit.
Fleming's view frames that continuity as protection for freer batting. Chopra's view frames the same choice as murky messaging. Both can be true at once: seniors may be the World Cup plan, while the teenager still needs a defined pathway if he is kept in the squad.
For eng ind audiences following every XI tweak, the Auckland night was less about one duck and more about selection philosophy. A player who scored 45 off 19 was left out; the replacement made 0 from three balls; New Zealand posted 257 for 7; India closed on 172 for 9. The scoreboard, not the press conference, is why the call is being called a backfire.
Whether Sooryavanshi returns for the fifth match or stays on the bench, Team India now owes clearer public signalling about his role. Without it, every future omission will reopen the same debate that Auckland ignited.