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'Not his cup of tea' - R Ashwin's verdict on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's No. 3 role in Christchurch

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his T20I debut for India against New Zealand on October 24, 2026, at Hagley Oval, filling in for the injured Ishan Kishan. Batting at number three, the teenager struggled to find his rhythm and was dismissed for four runs off eight deliveries.

Ravichandran Ashwin later observed that the youngster appeared overwhelmed by the position, suggesting that the role was not suitable for him at this stage of his development. Ashwin proposed that the team management could consider moving Sanju Samson to the third spot if they persist with the current top-order combination.

Despite the early setback, India successfully chased down the target of 180 runs thanks to significant contributions from Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Ramandeep Singh.

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