New Zealand head coach Rob Walter is looking forward to seeing how 15-year old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi responds when the teenage Indian batsman faces a completely different challenge in the upcoming T20I series. Sooryavanshi has quickly made a name for himself with his attacking strokeplay, but Walter believes the five-match series in New Zealand could offer an interesting test, particularly on surfaces expected to provide more pace and bounce.

Walter Wants To See Vaibhav Against Pace

Speaking to reporters, Rob Walter admitted that he is curious to see whether Sooryavanshi’s aggressive game can be equally effective under New Zealand conditions.

"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."

The New Zealand coach also pointed to the challenge of adapting to unfamiliar conditions and figuring out the best way to contain the young batter.

"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."

Recently, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi did not have a memorable tour of England, struggling in his three outings, but it must also be noted that those were his first-ever three senior international games.

He did eventually succeed in Zimbabwe, scoring two half-centuries.

New Zealand Coach Wants To Put Youngster Under Pressure

Walter also revealed that, from a coaching perspective, he is interested in seeing how emerging players respond when the pressure rises.

"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,"

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise has made him one of the most closely watched young batters in Indian cricket.

His explosive performances in the IPL during 2025 and 2026, along with his displays at the U19 World Cup, eventually earned him a T20I debut against England in July.

He was not part of India’s 3-0 T20I series against Afghanistan or their narrow victory over Japan in Sano.

However, the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand, beginning October 22, could provide his first opportunity to confront seam-friendly conditions in a major international assignment.