CHRISTCHURCH: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi “can’t just walk straight into the team”, India captain Shreyas Iyer said on Wednesday, after calls for the teenage sensation to be unleashed for the T20 series against New Zealand starting in Christchurch this week.

The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi made his international debut for India in July but has been used sparingly against top opponents despite his glittering Indian Premier League form.

India landed in New Zealand on Tuesday, two days before they begin their 40-day tour including five T20s, five One-day Internationals and two Test matches.

It marks 100 years of sporting ties between the two nations.

“He has many more years ahead to get opportunities,” Iyer said when asked about the teenager’s role in the squad.

“It’s not as if he can just walk straight into the team right now because our openers have been scoring consistently and also won us the World Cup.”

Sooryavanshi has taken the cricketing world by storm after making his IPL debut aged 14 years and 23 days in 2025.

Nine days later he scored his first IPL century.

In eight T20 Internationals Sooryavanshi is averaging just over 30 at a strike rate of 186, below his IPL average of 44 and strike rate of nearly 229.

Since July Sooryavanshi’s rivals for India’s opening spot, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, have averaged 25 and 30, respectively, at strike rates of 172 and 200.

Iyer said Sooryavanshi would learn plenty from the tour, with or without game time.

“Look at it this way: coming overseas like this will give him a fair idea of how the game plays on these particular wickets, so next time when he comes he will be very well prepared for these conditions.”

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said he was aware of Sooryavanshi’s talents from playing in the IPL but pointed to the power of India’s whole lineup.

“I think he has a huge part to play for India, whether it’s in this series or in the future,” Santner said. “If he does get a crack guys have found it quite hard to stop him, but we’ve got some plans for him.”

Santner said conditions would be seam friendly in the opening match at Hagley Oval.

India would have to get used to some unfamiliar conditions as they start the series, he said.

“Temperature-wise, you know, we’ve always when we’ve gone to India, it’s hot, it’s humid,” Santner said. “Here tomorrow night could be the flip side for India, could be a little bit cold, maybe windy, some cold hands.”

New Zealand are without Will O’Rourke, Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes for the T20 series but will be able to lean on the power hitting of Finn Allen and Tim Seifert at the top of the order.

India recalled seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar after a four-year absence while Jasprit Bumrah was rested as part of workload management after he played a key part in the team’s recent Asian Games gold medal in Japan.

SHAMI NOT GIVING UP

Veteran Indian pacer Mohammad Shami was left out of the squad but the 36-year-old said that he is determined to work his way back into the India team.

Shami, whose career has been disrupted by leg issues, told reporters on Tuesday he would never lose hope of returning to the international arena.

“In any profession, you shouldn’t leave hope. You should always have a goal,” Shami, who last featured for India in March 2025 during their successful Champions Trophy campaign, said.

“If we are playing in the Ranji Trophy, it is to win the title for the state, right? Goals should always be there. I don’t deny that I have that goal.”

Shami, who has taken 462 international wickets in 197 matches across all three formats, was dropped by Bengal for their Ranji Trophy match against Services last week but he said that decision was based on the pitch being better for spin and that his fitness was not the issue.

“I am still at my peak,” he added. “You all can see it for yourselves, I trained today and yesterday as well.”

Shami was the leading wicket-taker when India finished runners-up in the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil but looks unlikely to feature in their title defence next year.

“I don’t think that far ahead. You never know what will happen in life,” he said. “You don’t know who will score runs or take wickets.”

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2026