New Zealand captain acknowledges potential of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in T20 series against India

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would pose a major threat if he were to play for India in the T20 International series; however, his team has planned to deal with the batsman.

Sooryavanshi was picked sparingly for the UK tour earlier this year, largely because regular openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have performed well.

Santner said should the 15-year-old make the playing XI in the series here, some research has been done to figure out his game.


"He (Sooryavanshi) did not play in the last series (against West Indies), but we know how good he is in the IPL. We know other players like Abhishek are doing very well. But he (Sooryavanshi) has a huge part to play for India, whether it's in this series or not, but in the future," Santner said at the pre-series press conference on Wednesday.

"If he does get a crack at this series, we've seen what he can do, and guys have found it quite hard to stop him. I know in England, they went quite short and hard at a lot of the Indian batters. I think we've seen him in the IPL and how aggressive he can be. So we've got some plans for him if he happens to play," he added.

Santner, when asked about the return of pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the Indian T20I team after a nearly four-year hiatus, said he expects Bhuvneshwar to love the conditions here.

"I think Bhuvi will love these conditions in New Zealand. If there's anything in the wicket, he finds something out of it. On some flat ones in India, he still managed to nip the ball and swing the ball, so I think with the new ball out here, especially, it'll be a challenge (for New Zealand),” he said.

"In India, it's pretty challenging as a bowler these days. We've seen in the recent series that 250 are getting chased down. Who wants to be a bowler, but he (Bhuvneshwar) might like it out here a little bit better," he added.

Santner said he is hoping for it to be a contest in which bowlers dominate.

"I hope so. I think maybe the first game it might be, but it can change pretty quickly. It's very weather dependent. The second game is on a used pitch, the same pitch as the first game. It could be a bit flatter.”

"If it nips around, we've got to play accordingly. If it's flat, you've got to play accordingly," said the New Zealand captain.

"If there is a little bit in it, you might have to change a few shots, but they've played on fast, bouncy wickets before. They've played all around the world and done really well. It's going to be a challenge for this series, and we're looking forward to it," he added.

The two teams will face each other in another five-game ODI rubber followed by two Tests, following the five-match T20I series.

"They (India) are a well-gelled team and are playing some good cricket. We know the conditions will be a little bit different to what they've had at home. The pitches here will be a little bit bouncy. I guess there are still memories, and a lot of this group were at the World Cup,” he said.

"And obviously the series beforehand, where India beat us 4-1. So again, we know that they're a great team and have done it for a long time," he added.

The New Zealand Captain emphasised that the different conditions may only favour his team marginally.

"We're going around the country; conditions can change. I think both teams are changing a little bit just with the schedule and the quick turnaround. So, it's going to be a full squad effort for both teams to put in some good performances," he said.