The question of which position Vaibha Suryawanshi will play if he is included in the starting lineup of India against New Zealand in the T20I in Christchurch is the main topic of discussion among fans. Since Ishan Kishan is absent from the second T20 in Christchurch, his spot could potentially be taken by Vaibha Suryawanshi.
Although his inclusion in the starting XI is possible, the decision on the squad rests with the Indian team management, headed by Gautam Gambhir. This fact is confirmed by batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who also stated that the Indian team determines its starting lineup.
Technically, Vaibha Suryawanshi is the most suitable candidate to replace Ishan Kishan. However, all his previous matches have been played as an opener. Currently, the Indian opening pair under Gambhir's leadership consists of Sandeep Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
This raises the question of how likely it is that Vaibha will be allowed to open. If he is selected, what will be his position in the batting order? Furthermore, Kumar Kushagra has been included as a reserve after Ishan Kishan's injury.
Keeping Abhishek Sharma and Sandeep Samson at the top positions seems probable, considering they scored 93 runs in just 5.5 overs in the previous T20 match with a target of 225 runs. Abhishek scored 29 runs off 12 balls, and Sandeep scored 67 runs off 33 balls.
Given this, shifting them seems unlikely. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that Sandeep could play at number three, allowing Vaibha to open alongside Abhishek. This type of lineup was often used by India previously, and this scenario appears possible with Vaibha's arrival.
A day before the T20 in Christchurch, on Friday, Sitanshu Kotak commented on the uncertainty of the squad, asserting that the starting lineup cannot be chosen based on social media requests. He emphasized that while people want to see their choices, this does not happen in reality. Kotak noted that Vaibha is talented and has a bright future, but changes in the team cannot be made solely due to public interest. He also did not approve of the hype surrounding Vaibha.
According to Kotak, Vaibha has started to understand why he is not yet given a place in the starting lineup. He added that Vaibha has not complained about the lack of playing time but has focused on improving his fielding, physical fitness, and batting, while closely observing the team atmosphere. Kotak also hinted at the possibility of Vaibha making the team.
Vaibha Suryawanshi has currently scored 246 runs in 8 matches and 8 innings, with an average of 30.75 and a strike rate of 186.36. In 23 IPL matches, he has scored 1028 runs with an average of 44.69 and a strike rate of 228.95. Overall, in 42 T20 matches, he has scored 1723 runs with an average of 42.02 and a strike rate of 214.83.
These statistics are provided to point out that in his 42-match T20 career, Vaibha has never played a position other than an opener. Thus, if he is selected at number three, it will be his first time, although the probability of this seems low.
The only drawback for Sandeep at number three is that he has not achieved much success in that position. Here, he scored 100 runs in 7 matches and 7 innings with an average of 14.28, and his highest score in that position was 88.
Moving him to this position presents a personal risk for Sandeep, as either he will succeed or questions will arise about him again. Sandeep succeeded in the role of an opponent, scoring 1074 runs in 33 matches with an average of 33.56 when batting at number one (receiving the first ball). All three of his centuries were at this position.
Furthermore, Sandeep played in 9 matches at number two (not receiving the first ball), where he scored 246 runs with an average of 30.75 and a strike rate of 182.22.
The possibility of Abhishek Sharma moving to number three is also raised. If Vaibha and Sandeep open the game, it maintains the combination of a right-handed and a left-handed batsman. However, Abhishek Sharma has spent most of his T20I career batting as an opponent. In 67 innings across 68 matches, he scored 2100 runs with an average of 32.3 and a strike rate of 194.62.
At number one (receiving the first ball), he scored 641 runs in 24 matches and 24 innings, with an average of 27.86 and a strike rate of 175.61. At number two (as non-striker), he scored 1435 runs in 41 matches and 41 innings with an average of 35.87.