Vaibhav Sooryavanshi missing from Playing XI in 2nd T20I between India and West Indies: Reasons Explained

India are playing the 2nd T20I of their five-match home series against West Indies at JSCA International Cricket Stadium, Ranchi, on October 9, 2026. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is part of the squad for this series but has not been included in the playing XI for this match.

IND vs WI 2026: Toss Update

The toss took place before the game, with the visiting side opting to field first. India captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed at the toss that his side would field an unchanged XI from the opening match played in Lucknow on October 6.

IND vs WI 2026: Why Sooryavanshi is not playing in the 2nd T20I?

Sooryavanshi was not in the playing XI for the 1st T20I either, and the decision to retain the same eleven means he continues to sit out. The opening slots in India’s batting order are occupied by Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, leaving no place for Sooryavanshi, who is a top-order batter. West Indies made one change for the 2nd T20I, with Gudakesh Motie coming in for Matthew Forde.

IND vs WI 2026: What did the captains say?

Shai Hope, West Indies Captain:

(on the reason to bowl first) Yeah, very much so. We all know this. Also, considering T20 cricket and how the West Indies have played, we’re comfortable chasing. But again, we’ve got to look at the conditions we’re playing in here in India. It’s already a bit wet, so it’s going to get even worse as the evening goes on. We’re just going to try to put them under pressure with the ball and then chase them down. It’s about trying to learn from the mistakes we made in the first game. Especially against a quality side like India, you can’t really give them too many chances. We’ve got to make sure we put that game behind us quickly and come back stronger today. One change. Forde is out, and Motie is in. Everyone’s probably going to get a go on this tour.

Shreyas Iyer, India Captain:

Well, we would have looked to bowl first as well. But obviously, you have to adapt to the conditions as quickly as possible. It’s a pleasant evening, and there’s a little bit of dew around, so hopefully it stays the same in the second innings as well. We’ve just discussed maintaining our standards throughout the 40 overs we play. We want to ensure we’re completely focused on our approach. As I mentioned, we want to keep raising our standards every time we step onto the field. We want to challenge ourselves to keep getting better and make sure we win more matches (on the team’s winning habit). We’re going with the same team.

IND vs WI 2026: Playing XIs

India:

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.

West Indies:

Shai Hope(w/c), Kamil Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Springer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph

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