'We want to see him under pressure': New Zealand coach lays down challenge for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
toi
newspoint|23-09-2026
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter is keen to see how India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi handles the challenge of pace and bounce when the two sides meet in the upcoming T20I series.
Sooryavanshi has already made a name for himself with explosive performances in the IPL in 2025 and 2026, as well as at this year’s U19 World Cup. Those displays earned him his T20I debut against England in July.
The teenager was part of India’s squad for the 3-0 T20I series win over Afghanistan and the narrow two-run victory over Japan in Sano, but did not feature in the playing eleven.
Walter said he would be particularly interested in watching Sooryavanshi bat on the seam-friendly, bouncy New Zealand surfaces and also see how he responds if put under pressure.
“Yes, I'd love to see him on some pace in bouncy wickets and see how different that looks. But he's an exciting player. You've seen him dominate against the world's best bowlers in the IPL. I think the challenge is always to see how that translates to different conditions and also how do we bowl to him in our conditions.
“Again, secretly as a coach, you always want to see your players under a little bit of pressure and how we respond to that. So looking forward to it, if that is the case. If he's not here, they do have a lot of very good players other than him,” Walter told reporters on Wednesday.
The New Zealand coach was also asked about the controversial wide call during India’s recent one-off T20I against Japan, which sparked considerable debate.
Walter made it clear that he had not followed the match closely and had little interest in getting drawn into the controversy.
“A very short segment (I watched). I saw there was some controversy around the wide ruling. But no, I didn't watch a hell of a lot of it, to be fair. The lesser the better, I think.”
The upcoming series will also bring New Zealand back together for their first T20I engagement as a collective since the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where they suffered a heavy defeat to India.
Walter acknowledged that losing a final naturally leaves a mark, but insisted the Black Caps' motivation for the home series is not centred on revenge.
“I suppose it is there. No one likes to lose a final. I've done it twice, so I know all about it. But I think what comes first is representing the Black Caps and New Zealand well. So you've got a group of players who are always trying to do that first. Of course, if you manage to get a couple of victories at home, that would be great.
“But taking care of the little steps in between now and then is the most important part. Being excited about representing again - it's been a while for some of the guys. Obviously it's the first time as a collective since the World Cup, with the majority of the squad that was in the World Cup to run out together.
“So there's always something in it. It's not our major focal point, certainly not the things we speak about the most. Most importantly, we want to play good cricket and represent well,” he explained.
Sooryavanshi has already made a name for himself with explosive performances in the IPL in 2025 and 2026, as well as at this year’s U19 World Cup. Those displays earned him his T20I debut against England in July.
The teenager was part of India’s squad for the 3-0 T20I series win over Afghanistan and the narrow two-run victory over Japan in Sano, but did not feature in the playing eleven.
Walter said he would be particularly interested in watching Sooryavanshi bat on the seam-friendly, bouncy New Zealand surfaces and also see how he responds if put under pressure.
“Yes, I'd love to see him on some pace in bouncy wickets and see how different that looks. But he's an exciting player. You've seen him dominate against the world's best bowlers in the IPL. I think the challenge is always to see how that translates to different conditions and also how do we bowl to him in our conditions.
“Again, secretly as a coach, you always want to see your players under a little bit of pressure and how we respond to that. So looking forward to it, if that is the case. If he's not here, they do have a lot of very good players other than him,” Walter told reporters on Wednesday.
The New Zealand coach was also asked about the controversial wide call during India’s recent one-off T20I against Japan, which sparked considerable debate.
Walter made it clear that he had not followed the match closely and had little interest in getting drawn into the controversy.
“A very short segment (I watched). I saw there was some controversy around the wide ruling. But no, I didn't watch a hell of a lot of it, to be fair. The lesser the better, I think.”
The upcoming series will also bring New Zealand back together for their first T20I engagement as a collective since the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where they suffered a heavy defeat to India.
Walter acknowledged that losing a final naturally leaves a mark, but insisted the Black Caps' motivation for the home series is not centred on revenge.
“I suppose it is there. No one likes to lose a final. I've done it twice, so I know all about it. But I think what comes first is representing the Black Caps and New Zealand well. So you've got a group of players who are always trying to do that first. Of course, if you manage to get a couple of victories at home, that would be great.
“But taking care of the little steps in between now and then is the most important part. Being excited about representing again - it's been a while for some of the guys. Obviously it's the first time as a collective since the World Cup, with the majority of the squad that was in the World Cup to run out together.
“So there's always something in it. It's not our major focal point, certainly not the things we speak about the most. Most importantly, we want to play good cricket and represent well,” he explained.
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