‘He should have opened’ – Murali Kartik criticises India’s handling of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Former India spinner Murali Kartik criticized India's team management for batting 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at No. 3 during the second T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch on October 25, 2026. Replacing the injured Ishan Kishan, Sooryavanshi scored only four runs off eight balls. Kartik argued that the young batter is naturally suited to open and should not have been thrust into an unfamiliar middle-order role.

Speaking on the Sony Sports Network, Kartik maintained that experienced batter Sanju Samson should have batted at No. 3 instead because of his tactical versatility. He added that if the team required a specialist middle-order replacement for Kishan, Shivam Dube should have been selected instead of misusing Sooryavanshi, despite India ultimately winning the match.