Sooryavanshi must open if selected, Abhishek Nayar tells Gambhir

India’s five-match T20I series against West Indies began on October 6, 2026, in Lucknow with Shreyas Iyer as captain and Tilak Varma as vice-captain. The squad includes young left-handed batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has not yet featured in the playing XI through the second match. With the final T20I scheduled at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, the selection debate around Sooryavanshi’s role has intensified as the series progresses.

Abhishek Nayar, the former India assistant coach, has weighed in on how Sooryavanshi should be deployed if selected for the remaining matches. Nayar emphasised that the 15-year-old left-hander possesses clear strengths that should not be compromised for the sake of squad balance or accommodation of other players.

“I am very tempted. Are you going to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of position? I wouldn’t want to see that. If Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays, he should play at his strongest position, which is opening,” Nayar said on JioStar.

Why Sooryavanshi must bat at the top

Nayar’s position reflects a broader principle about batting order construction. He argued that if Sooryavanshi opens, the batter at number three must also be allowed to bat in their strongest position. This approach prevents a cascade of compromises that could weaken the entire middle order.

“If he opens, the one who is playing at No. 3 should play at his strongest position. No matter how much I am tempted, and I want to see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, that too in Bengaluru, I would make changes in bowling and not at all in batting,” Nayar said.

Bowling changes over batting adjustments

Rather than adjusting the batting lineup to accommodate Sooryavanshi, Nayar advocated for tactical changes in the bowling department. He outlined a specific strategy that would allow the young opener to play his natural game without displacing established batters from their preferred positions.

“I would take a punt here and try the Kuldeep Yadav route. So, I may replace Naman Dhir with Kuldeep Yadav and move Nitish Kumar Reddy one position up, followed by Axar Patel. I think Axar Patel has also played that role really well for Team India when he is sent up as a floater,” Nayar said.

Nayar also flagged the fitness status of fast bowler Arshdeep Singh as a critical factor in the selection equation for the final match. The pacer’s shoulder injury sustained during the series would influence how the bowling attack is constructed.

“The last four are going to be attacking options, depending on Arshdeep’s fitness and how his shoulder is, because he got hit on his shoulder. That’s going to be something I am going to be really keen to look at, as to how that pans out,” Nayar said.

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