India omit Sooryavanshi from final two New Zealand T20Is

India left Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the final two matches of its T20I series against New Zealand after Ishan Kishan returned from injury, prompting former India selector Kris Srikkanth to criticize the team’s handling of the teenager. India had won the first three matches before losing the last two, taking the five-match series 3-2. Sooryavanshi played the second and third T20Is while Kishan was unavailable. He scored four runs in the second match, then made 45 off 19 balls in the third, played in Wellington on October 27. Kishan’s return for the fourth match brought Sooryavanshi back to the bench, and he was not selected for the finale in Hamilton. Srikkanth argued that India should give the young batter a clearer and more consistent opportunity rather than dropping him after only two appearances. In comments on his YouTube channel, he said the team should communicate a plan for its opening options and give players defined chances. He also said the selection approach risked discouraging Sooryavanshi. Srikkanth extended his criticism beyond the New Zealand series, saying Sooryavanshi should have played in earlier T20I assignments against Ireland and the West Indies. He also...