Sooryavanshi in focus as India step out for milestone T20I against New Zealand

Christchurch, October 23 (IANS) Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's potential return has grabbed the headlines again as India gear up to face New Zealand in the second T20I of the five-match series at Hagley Oval here on Saturday.India, the reigning two-time T20 World Champions, will be stepping onto the field for their 300th T20I match and will be looking to double up their 1-0 lead in the series after they won a run-scoring feast at the same venue on Thursday.That was also India's highest T20I chase as the likes of Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir starred in the 226-run chase. Now they are likely to get the addition of Sooryavanshi as Ishan Kishan is out of the second match due to a low-grade right adductor strain.Sooryavanshi, if he gets the nod, would be licking his lips as the second match will also be played at the same venue and on the same pitch which hosted the 455-run feast across the two innings. That might also mean that the used surface can have something in it for the bowlers, with likely wear and tear expected too.With Sooryavanshi likely to return, India are likely to open with two left-handers in Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma and shift Samson to No.3. This might also open the window for the Kiwis to bring an off-spinner up front, at which India struggled during the T20 World Cup 2026.New Zealand would be happy to take the game to the last over despite the start India had and dew being there in Christchurch in the opener. But they would want to make a comeback sooner rather than later, as another defeat would make a comeback way too far in the five-match series.This would not be ideal for the Kiwis as West Indies recently pushed India to the limits and tied the five-match series 2-2 with the last game getting washed out.India's 300th T20I match will see them become just the second team to complete a triple century of matches in the format, after Pakistan, who have played 304 games. The Men in Blue have 199 outright wins, but their six super over and bowl-out wins have already put them past the 200-mark, and they have 205 wins in the format.When: October 24, 2026, 12:30 PMWhere: Hagley Oval, ChristchurchWhere to watch: The match will be shown live on the Sony Sports Network channels on TV, and live streaming is available on the Sony LIV app and website.Squads:India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Devon Conway (wk), Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Bevon Jacobs, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Josh Clarkson, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, and Blair Tickner.