New Zealand have done their homework on India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and are preparing specific plans to counter his explosive hitting, with pacer Jacob Duffy hoping home conditions will pose a fresh challenge for the 15-year-old ahead of the five-match T20I series beginning on Thursday.Sooryavanshi has taken the cricketing world by storm with his fearless approach and remarkable consistency, rewriting records in the Indian Premier League before becoming India’s youngest international cricketer in the men’s game with his T20I debut in England in July.After a quiet start to his international career against England, the left-handed opener announced himself on the global stage by smashing an 18-ball half-century against Zimbabwe, becoming the youngest player to score a fifty in men’s international cricket. He has continued his rise, recently winning an Asian Games gold medal in Japan.With India now preparing for a challenging tour of New Zealand, the hosts are well aware of the threat posed by the young opener. The opening T20I will be played at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval, where seam-friendly conditions could test Sooryavanshi’s ability to adapt.
‘He’s an incredible talent’: Duffy reveals New Zealand’s plans
Duffy acknowledged Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary ability to hit the ball hard while maintaining an impressive scoring rate, saying the New Zealand camp had closely studied his performances ahead of the series.“First of all, he’s an incredible talent. Obviously, he’s taken the IPL by storm and what’s amazing, he strikes it so hard but he does it so consistently,” Duffy told reporters on Tuesday. “He’s striking at 250 (strike-rate) every game and he’s not missing out very often. So that’s incredible in itself.”“I think he played in England, so conditions will be a little bit different for him, so that’s obviously one thing for him to be challenged with. We’ve certainly had a good scouting session on him and got our plans as to what we want to do to him,” he said.The comments underline New Zealand’s intent to make Sooryavanshi work for his runs rather than allow him to settle into the kind of rhythm that has made him one of the most talked-about young batters in world cricket.India’s fans will be keen to see how the teenager handles New Zealand’s conditions, where pitches can offer movement and bounce to fast bowlers. The five-match T20I series will provide an important test of his adaptability against an attack familiar with exploiting conditions at home.
‘As long as it’s not Hyderabad’: Duffy hopes for bounce
Duffy has already sounded out Hagley Oval’s head groundsman about the surface and is hoping the pitch offers enough assistance to the bowlers to prevent a high-scoring contest.“He’s from Invercargill, so he’s promised me a little bit of bounce,” said Duffy, who was born in Lumsden, a small town near the South Island city. “As long as it’s not Hyderabad, I’m happy.”The T20I series is the first leg of India’s tour, which will also include one-day internationals and a two-Test series.Duffy arrives at the assignment after a productive period in his career. The Otago bowler won the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal as New Zealand’s top player in 2025 and was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL-winning campaign after reaching the final of the T20 World Cup earlier in the year.
