Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has shared his thoughts on how India should utilise young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the final T20I against the West Indies. With the five-match series reaching its decisive stage, the 15-year-old left-hander’s continued absence from the playing XI has sparked discussions about whether India should give him an opportunity in Bengaluru.

Nayar believes Sooryavanshi should be considered only for his natural position at the top of the order rather than being moved around to accommodate other players. According to the former coach, the youngster’s attacking ability is best suited to opening, and changing his role could prevent him from making the most of his strengths. “I am very tempted. Are you going to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of position? I wouldn’t want to see that. If Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays, he should play at his strongest position, which is opening,” Abhishek Nayar said on JioStar.

Nayar also stressed that India should avoid making multiple changes to the batting order simply to fit Sooryavanshi into the lineup. He argued that if the youngster opens, the batter coming in at No. 3 should also be allowed to operate in their preferred position. Instead, he suggested that the team management look for solutions in the bowling department.

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“If he opens, the one who is playing at No. 3 should play at his strongest position. No matter how much I am tempted, and I want to see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, that too in Bengaluru, I would make changes in bowling and not at all in batting,” Abhishek Nayar explained.

To make room for the young opener without disturbing the batting structure, Nayar proposed bringing wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav into the side in place of Naman Dhir. He also suggested promoting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy by one position, followed by Axar Patel, who has previously performed well as a flexible batting option for India.

“I would take a punt here and try the Kuldeep Yadav route. So, I may replace Naman Dhir with Kuldeep Yadav and move Nitish Kumar Reddy one position up, followed by Axar Patel. I think Axar Patel has also played that role really well for Team India when he is sent up as a floater,” he said.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Arshdeep Singh’s fitness remains another important consideration ahead of the series decider. The left-arm pacer sustained a shoulder injury during the series, leaving his availability uncertain. Nayar believes the final bowling combination will depend on the extent of the injury and the medical team’s assessment.

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“The last four are going to be attacking options, depending on Arshdeep’s fitness and how his shoulder is, because he got hit on his shoulder. That’s going to be something I am going to be really keen to look at, as to how that pans out,” Abhishek Nayar added.

With the series on the line, India must balance the excitement surrounding Sooryavanshi with the need to maintain a settled batting order and field a competitive bowling attack.