Dinesh Karthik Urges Rest for Abhishek Sharma to Make Way for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in Final T20I

Summary

Former India wicket‑keeper Dinesh Karthik has suggested that if the team wants to give teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a place in the XI for the fifth and decisive T20I against New Zealand, the most logical move would be to rest all‑rounder Abhishek Sharma rather than drop Sanju Samson again.

Context

• Series: India vs New Zealand, five‑match T20I series (India lead 3‑1).
• Venue of final match: Not yet announced; the series finale will be the fifth T20I.
• Date & time: To be confirmed; the match will follow New Zealand’s local time zone.

Player performances so far

• Sanju Samson: Opened the series with a 67‑run blitz (33 balls) in Christchurch, earning Player of the Match. Subsequent scores: 14 and 18. Moved to No. 3 in the third T20I to accommodate Sooryavanshi.
• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Scored 45 off 19 balls in the third T20I in Wellington, missed the fourth T20I after Ishan Kishan’s injury return.
• Abhishek Sharma: Has been a regular middle‑order option; Karthik proposes giving him a break.
• New Zealand: Won the fourth T20I by 87 runs (259/7, Glenn Phillips 107 off 49; India 172/9, Jacob Duffy 4 wickets).

Karthik’s recommendation

“If they want to play Vaibhav, it has got to be in place of Abhishek, to give him a break… The key word here is *break*,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.

He argues that repeatedly dropping Samson creates instability and that a rest for Sharma would be a fair trade‑off.

Practical implications

• Team balance: Resting Sharma could preserve batting depth while allowing Sooryavanshi to gain experience before the next assignment.
• Selection verification: Fans can check the official squad announcement on the BCCI website or the match‑day playing XI released an hour before kickoff.

What to watch

• Whether the final T20I sees a reshuffle that includes Sooryavanshi.
• How India’s batting order adapts after the heavy loss in the fourth match.

--- *All information is drawn from statements made by Dinesh Karthik and match reports up to the fourth T20I; no speculative scores or line‑ups are presented.*