India faces West Indies in the fourth T20I at Hyderabad on Wednesday, aiming to seal the series. Ahead of the match, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi posted "Stay seated" on social media. Former coach Abhishek Nayar said, "I would want India to go 3-1 up, and for the last game, Sooryavanshi plays."
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image credit: Instagram)
India will look to seal the five-match T20I series when they face the West Indies in the fourth match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. With India leading the series 2-1, the possibility of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi getting a chance has once again become a major talking point. India will aim to continue their winning run and put pressure on the visitors. The West Indies, meanwhile, will look to bounce back and keep the series alive. Ahead of the fourth T20I, Sooryavanshi shared a couple of pictures from his batting practice session. "Stay seated," Sooryavanshi captioned the two-word post with a tornado and an hourglass emojis. India will look to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series. Captain Shreyas Iyer and coach Gautam Gambhir may prefer to stick with the same playing XI, including the opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. However, former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has backed teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying that the 15-year-old should play in India's Playing XI for the fifth T20I against the West Indies. India, led by Shreyas Iyer, currently lead the five-match series 2-1 and need just one more win to seal it. They started with a convincing eight-wicket victory but suffered a six-wicket defeat in the high-scoring second T20I. India bounced back with a 14-run win in the third match.
Nayar wants Sooryavanshi to play the final T20I
Speaking ahead of the fourth T20I, Nayar said India should first focus on winning the series. A victory would allow the team management to give Sooryavanshi an opportunity in the final match. The young opener has not played in the series so far, with India continuing to back Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson at the top of the order. "I would want India to go 3-1 up, and for the last game, Sooryavanshi plays. So keep it simple: Go 3-1 up, wrap the series up, and let Sooryavanshi play the last one," said Nayar on Star Sports.
Hyderabad pitch expected to favour batters
Hyderabad is known for its batting-friendly conditions and short boundaries. Both teams could be involved in another high-scoring contest. The venue has witnessed successful T20I chases of 208 and 187. India have also come close to the 300-run mark here, recording the second-highest T20I total in matches between ICC Full Member countries. Hyderabad is also home to Sunrisers Hyderabad, one of the most aggressive batting teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen have been key examples of the franchise's attacking approach.
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The venue has also witnessed huge totals in domestic and franchise cricket over the past two years, with scores of 310, 297, 286 and 277 being recorded. The pitch has recently been relaid, but conditions are still expected to favour batters. Dew could make batting easier in the second innings. With no rain predicted, the match is expected to take place without interruption.
India vs West Indies 4th T20I: Squads
India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma (vc), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav. West Indies: Shai Hope (c), Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer.