"I don't find it tricky at all" - Former India keeper's blunt remark on Vaibhav Suryavanshi's place in the playing XI for NZ vs IND 2026 4th T20I

Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has remarked that despite a blistering 19-ball 45 in the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington, teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi will have to move to the bench to accommodate the potentially returning Ishan Kishan in the fourth T20I of the series.

Ishan Kishan missed the second and third T20Is with a right adductor strain he picked up in the series opener in Christchurch. Vaibhav Suryavanshi replaced him at No.3 in the second T20I, made 4 off 8, then was pushed up to open in the third T20I on Tuesday, October 27, and was involved in a 133-run stand with Abhishek Sharma that led to a comprehensive six-wicket win.

Dinesh Karthik believes that although the knock was reassuring and brilliant, the hierarchy still does not change for him at the time as he backs the World Cup-winning top three of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.

"I don't find it tricky at all. If everyone is available, Vaibhav has to wait his turn. These three have been extraordinary. As bad as it sounds, it is a fact. It goes without saying that some of the biggest Super Smash scores are from Auckland, so it is a high scoring venue. We have to wait and see what the pitch is, and what sort of team India and New Zealand will play now that the series is done, now that they can afford to give chances to others if they choose to," he said on Cricbuzz.

The incumbent top order has kept Suryavanshi on the bench through the Afghanistan and West Indies series and at the start of the New Zealand tour. The teenager featured with the trio during the Asian Games 2026, where India played a bowler less while Ishan Kishan batted lower than his usual No.3 position.

"You don't want to try to be okay with losing just because you won the series 3-0" - Dinesh Karthik urges India to be ruthless in remainder of NZ vs IND 2026 T20Is

India finished the job with two games to spare by hunting down 199 in 13.2 overs in Wellington, with Abhishek Sharma making a stunning 113 off 38 balls. The historic win gives India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, leading to an opportunity where the bench strength can be tested. The visitors have the likes of Kuldeep Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Shivam Dube on the sidelines waiting for a chance.

Dinesh Karthik noted that India can go for the changes, but they must not drop the winning habit.

"I think the default would be to bat with deep batters. I completely understand why they are doing it, and it has produced results, so why not? Winning is a habit, it is a mentality. So, you want to make changes, but not with the attitude of, 'It is okay if I lose'. So, if it means you have to chase five games, so be it. You don't want to try to be okay with losing just because you won the series 3-0," Karthik concluded.

Ishan Kishan was reported to have batted in the indoor nets during the third T20I in Wellington, though India are yet to confirm his availability for the next match. The fourth T20I is on Friday, 30 October at Eden Park in Auckland.

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