Ahead of the fifth T20I against New Zealand on October 31, 2026, Dinesh Karthik recommended a rotation policy to include Vaibhav Sooryavanshi without ousting Sanju Samson, suggesting Abhishek Sharma be rested. He proposed resting Arshdeep Singh and persisting with spinners, while using Mayank and Prince, stressing squad rotation and player management after India secured a 3-1 series lead.
