Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan will not participate in the upcoming third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington as he continues to recover from a low-grade adductor strain.
This injury was sustained during the first T20I held in Christchurch, which also kept him out of the second match. Kishan is on the verge of surpassing Suryakumar Yadav’s record for the most runs by an Indian in T20Is within a calendar year, currently standing at 1,164 runs. However, he will need to wait a bit longer to achieve this milestone. Kumar Kushagra has been brought in as a replacement and will remain with the team for the third T20I.
BCCI Medical Update
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) provided an update stating, “Ishan Kishan is making good progress in his recovery from a low-grade right adductor strain sustained during the first T20I against New Zealand. He has not yet regained full match fitness and will miss the third T20I scheduled for October 27, 2026, in Wellington. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring his recovery. Kumar Kushagra will continue to be part of the squad for this match.”
Player Performance and Team Changes
In the first T20I, Ishan managed to score only one run. This year, he has accumulated a total of 1,159 runs in 35 T20Is, averaging 36.21 with a strike rate of 171.44, which includes one century and seven fifties, with his highest score being 103. Additionally, he has scored 174 runs in five ODIs, featuring a century as well.
Kumar Kushagra, Ishan’s teammate from Jharkhand, has been selected as a cover due to his impressive performances in domestic cricket and for India A. In his last 10 matches across all formats, he has scored 641 runs in 14 innings, averaging 53.41, with two centuries and four fifties.
With Ishan unavailable, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may step in to bat at the number three position. However, he only managed to score four runs off eight balls in the second T20I. In his nine T20I appearances, he has accumulated 250 runs at a strike rate of 178.57, including two fifties.