Christchurch, Oct. 23 -- India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak believes the hype surrounding 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and calls for his inclusion in the playing XI have not been beneficial for the youngster or the team, stressing that the left-handed batter needs time to develop despite his exceptional talent.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of the second T20I against New Zealand, Kotak said Sooryavanshi has the backing of the team management but selection decisions cannot be based on popularity.

"I felt that at the start, there was a lot of hype that 'he has to play'. I genuinely felt that wasn't good for the player also. Just a 15-16-year-old boy, and everyone saying 'he should play' and 'he isn't being picked' a...