Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Snubbed Again As India Make 2 Changes In Playing XI For 5th T20I

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi did not find a place in India's playing XI for the fifth and final T20I at Seddon Park, Hamilton. Though India lead the series 3-1, the Shreyas Iyer-led side opted for a batting line-up packed with senior players. There were two changes to the playing XI from the side that featured in the fourth T20I. Varun Chakaravarthy came in place of Axar Patel, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar replaced Mayank Yadav. India captain Shreyas Iyer, who lost the toss and was sent in to bat, said he would have wanted to do the same.

"Yeah, I mean it's a great occasion to come here, especially at this historic ground. And we were looking to bat as well. Absolutely, we wanted to test ourselves batting first. In all four games, we chased, so we wanted to get a feel for how the wicket would play in the first innings," he said.

"In Auckland, the dimensions were different. The bowlers had slightly different plans against certain batters. But credit where it's due. Phillips played an exceptional knock. It's important that we trust our instincts and ensure that we bowl according to the plan and also what the wicket requires."

Regarding the changes to the playing XI, he said: "We've got two changes. Varun comes in and Bhuvi comes in. Yes, absolutely. He's been waiting for his opportunity, and today I feel that even in the huddle, he gave us a beautiful speech. So he's pumped up and looking forward to this contest."

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner

India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy

Featured Video Of The Day

Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver, Yashvir Singh Bronze As India Seal Double Podium In CWG Javelin