Rob Walter reveals challenge awaiting Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in New Zealand

The India National Cricket Team is set to tour New Zealand for a full tour starting with five T20Is, then five ODIs, followed by two Test matches. This is going to be a fantastic tour, keeping in mind India’s World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification chances. Ahead of the tour, Kiwi head coach Rob Walter has warned Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been having a brilliant year, first in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) for Rajasthan Royals (RR) which he earned his maiden call-up to the Men in Blue, and then made his debut in England and won his first Player of the Series in Zimbabwe. Following that, he has not featured for the side, as the wait continues for him.

Rob Walter warns Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of T20I series in New Zealand

While speaking with the media, head coach Rob Walter warned Vaibhav Sooryavanshi about the kind of pitches that he will get in New Zealand. He stated that he would love to see the 15-year-old sensation against some pace on bouncy wickets and how he bats in tough conditions. Walter also added that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is an exciting player to watch as he has dominated world-class bowlers.

He said (as quoted by NDTV), “Yes, I’d love to see him on some pace in bouncy wickets and see how different that looks. But he’s an exciting player. 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.”

Rob Walter on why he wants his player to be under pressure

Walter further said that, as a coach, he wants to see his players under a bit of pressure and how they respond to that. So he is looking forward to facing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi; however, he also feels that the Men in Blue have some good players other than him.

“Again, secretly as a coach, you always want to see your players under a little bit of pressure and how we respond to that. So looking forward to it, if that is the case. If he’s not here, they do have a lot of very good players other than him,” Walter told reporters on Wednesday.

“I didn’t watch a hell”: Rob Walter on India vs Japan controversial wide

The New Zealand head coach also shared his views on the controversial wide decision in the game against India and Japan, which has been the talk of the cricketing fraternity. He also revealed that, although the Kiwis lost the T20 World Cup 2026 final, he believes the scars exist; however, the main focus is representing the Black Caps with pride on home turf rather than seeking revenge.

“A very short segment (I watched). 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. The lesser the better, I think.”

“I suppose it is there. No one likes to lose a final. I’ve done it twice, so I know all about it. But I think what comes first is representing the Black Caps and New Zealand well. So you’ve got a group of players who are always trying to do that first. Of course, if you manage to get a couple of victories at home, that would be great.”

Source: cricketaddictor.com