Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has expressed strong interest in fielding teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the series-deciding 5th T20I against the West Indies, but insists the 15-year-old must be deployed at the top of the order — his natural position — and nowhere else. The series is currently locked at 2-2, making the final match in Bengaluru a must-win for India.

The Sooryavanshi Dilemma

Sooryavanshi has so far warmed the bench in all four home T20Is, with India's established top three of Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan holding their spots throughout the series. The youngster has featured in eight T20Is to date, but every single appearance has come in overseas conditions — he is yet to play an international match on home soil.

Nayar acknowledged the temptation of fielding Sooryavanshi in Bengaluru, where conditions are considered batting-friendly, but drew a firm line on playing him out of position. 'I am very tempted to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. But are you going to play him out of position? If Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is playing, then he plays in his strongest position, which is opening. And if he is opening, then whoever is number three should also be playing in his strongest position,' Nayar said in an interview with JioStar.

Bowling Changes Over Batting Shuffle

Despite the temptation, Nayar ultimately leaned towards keeping the batting order intact and making changes in the bowling attack instead. He suggested replacing Naman Dhir with Kuldeep Yadav, a move that would push Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel one slot up each. 'I'll take a punt and try and go the Kuldeep Yadav way. So, I may replace Naman Dhir with Kuldeep Yadav and get Nitish and Axar one place up. Axar Patel has also played that role of a floater really well for Team India when he has been sent up,' he noted.

Nayar concluded: 'However tempted I may be to see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, that too in Bengaluru in such good conditions, I will make changes in the bowling, not in the batting at all.'

Samson's Form a Bright Spot

Nayar was effusive in his praise for Sanju Samson, who smashed a commanding 56 off 23 balls in the fourth T20I as India chased a steep 248. He noted that Samson appeared to be rediscovering his most dangerous self at the right moment in the series. 'It felt like that dangerous Sanju was back in his rhythm in the last game. He will take this confidence into Bengaluru, and I feel this Indian team will be in a much better position because a lot of the batters are in form. It's only a matter of them delivering together,' Nayar said.

He also highlighted the strategic value of Samson's aggressive start in the chase, even though India ultimately fell short. 'That start, even though India didn't get that result, is invaluable because you could get close,' he added.

Kishan and Abhishek Under Scrutiny

Ishan Kishan was dismissed early for just 6 runs in the fourth match, while Abhishek Sharma laboured to 29 off 24 balls — a rare sluggish outing for the typically free-flowing opener. Nayar, however, did not call for wholesale changes, emphasising that Samson's blitz papered over the top-order struggles effectively enough to keep India in contention.

With the 5th T20I set to be played in Bengaluru, all eyes will be on India's team selection — and whether Sooryavanshi finally gets his first taste of international cricket on home turf.