'Sanju and Abhishek are scoring consistently; Vaibhav will get his chance': Shreyas Iyer

CHRISTCHURCH: India's tour of New Zealand is set to begin on Thursday. One of the main talking points ahead of the T20I series is whether teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi will make it to the playing XI. Indian captain Shreyas Iyer has now responded to the discussion.

Iyer said openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma were in good form and scoring consistently. He added that Vaibhav had several years ahead of him to get opportunities. There was no need to rush him into the team, he said.

Speaking to the media ahead of the first T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, Iyer said it was important for a young player like Vaibhav to stay happy in the team dressing room.

"Vaibhav is very young and has many years ahead of him to get opportunities. Our openers are scoring consistently and have also won the World Cup. In such a situation, he cannot expect to get into the team immediately," Iyer said.

He also said that overseas tours would help Vaibhav understand different pitch conditions. This experience would prepare him for future matches. It would also help him guide other players in the team.

India have arrived in New Zealand with little time to rest after the T20I series against the West Indies. However, Iyer said the team's focus was on winning the series. Discussions in the dressing room and on the field were centred on how to achieve that.

He said the conditions in New Zealand would be very different from those in India. The pitches are expected to favour pace bowlers, unlike the flat tracks in India.

Iyer also spoke about his batting position. He said there was no need to change it as Ishan Kishan had been performing well at No. 3.