Culture & Entertainment · India Bureau
Santner warns of Sooryavanshi threat ahead of India T20 series
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has acknowledged the potential threat posed by young Indian batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the five-match T20 International series beginning Thursday. Despite limited opportunities in recent matches, Santner believes the 15-year-old could prove difficult to contain if included in India's playing XI.
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Santner conceded at a pre-series press conference on Wednesday that Sooryavanshi would be "quite hard to stop" should he feature in the upcoming series in New Zealand. The New Zealand skipper indicated his team has prepared specific strategies to counter the young batting prospect, should he get the opportunity to play.
Sooryavanshi has had limited game time since joining India's squad for the UK tour earlier this year, primarily because established openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have been performing consistently. However, Santner acknowledged the teenager's impressive record in the Indian Premier League and his significant role in India's future plans.
"He didn't play in the last series against West Indies, but we know how good he is in the IPL," Santner said. "We know other players like Abhishek are doing very well. But Sooryavanshi has a huge part to play for India, whether it's in this series or not, but in future."
Santner added that if Sooryavanshi does feature in the series, New Zealand has conducted research to understand his strengths and weaknesses. The five-match T20I series will provide both teams an opportunity to fine-tune their preparations ahead of upcoming international commitments.