New Zealand coach challenges Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to thrive against pace and bounce

Walter keen to test India’s teenage sensation

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter has challenged India batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to prove that his explosive performances can translate to the pace, bounce and seam-friendly conditions expected in the upcoming T20I series.

Sooryavanshi has built a reputation as one of India’s most exciting young batters after a series of explosive displays in the IPL and at the Under-19 World Cup. Those performances earned him a T20I debut against England in July. He was also included in India’s squad for the 3-0 series victory over Afghanistan and the narrow two-run win against Japan, although he did not play in either contest.

“I'd love to see him on some pace in bouncy wickets and see how different that looks,” Walter told reporters. “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.”

The New Zealand coach added that testing a highly rated player under pressure was part of the appeal. “Secretly as a coach, you always want to see your players under a little bit of pressure and how we respond to that,” he said.

Walter refuses to be drawn into Japan controversy

Walter was also asked about the disputed wide call in India’s recent one-off T20I against Japan. He said he had watched only a short section of the match and did not want to become involved in the debate surrounding the decision.

“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,” Walter said.

New Zealand focused on rebuilding, not revenge

The series will be New Zealand’s first T20I engagement as a group since the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where India secured a heavy victory. Walter acknowledged that losing a final remains painful but rejected the idea that revenge would be the Black Caps’ primary motivation.

“No one likes to lose a final,” Walter said, noting that he had experienced the disappointment twice. “But I think what comes first is representing the Black Caps and New Zealand well.”

Walter said the immediate priority was to take care of the smaller steps, play good cricket and enjoy returning to international action together. While victories at home would be welcome, he insisted that avenging the World Cup defeat was not the team’s central focus.