Sooryavanshi amid 12-match T20 stretch as India came away 3-2 in New Zealand

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi featured during India’s third T20I against New Zealand as the visitors came away on the right side of a 3-2 scoreline, part of a block of 12 Twenty20 internationals played in the space of 32 days.

Within a fortnight of squaring a five-match showdown against West Indies 2-2 at home — the final match in Bengaluru was washed out, with just 46 deliveries possible — India’s schedule included the Asian Games matches in Nisshin and the five T20Is in New Zealand, producing the 32-day total of 12 T20Is.

The sequence of fixtures left little time between major commitments: the side played in Lucknow just three days after retaining their gold medal in Japan, and their first outing in New Zealand came within five days of the Bengaluru washout after a long journey that took them to Christchurch via Dubai.

Those travel and timetable pressures have limited opportunities for the team to address form and fitness issues, leaving minimal scope to iron out kinks and even lesser windows for recovery, the report said.

Some members of the squad who specialise in T20 cricket will have a short respite, while players who are also part of the One-Day International setup face continued workload, the article noted.

The report singled out Shreyas Iyer’s men as having navigated the compressed programme: after the 2-2 home result with West Indies and the rain-affected Bengaluru match, they still managed to secure the 3-2 outcome in New Zealand during the same period.

Those who combine T20 and ODI duties, such as Shreyas himself, are in for another crazy haul over the next two weeks.