The suspense surrounding Team India’s playing XI for the first T20I between India and New Zealand in Nagpur has ended. Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has clarified that Shreyas Iyer will not be selected in the first match, and Ishan Kishan will bat at number 3. This also confirms Ishan Kishan’s return to Team India after a long hiatus.
Ishan Kishan can be in India vs New Zealand T20I match playing XI today
Ishan Kishan’s absence from the team is now over. After being selected for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup squad, he has now earned a direct call-up to the playing XI. Suryakumar Yadav confirmed in the pre-match press conference that the 27-year-old will play in the first T20I and bat at number three.
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Tilak Varma’s absence opened the door for Ishan. Tilak underwent surgery for a stomach problem and was ruled out of the first three T20 matches. Although he has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at the Center of Excellence, his availability for the final two matches remains unclear.
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The team management had two options for the No. 3 spot: Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan, but for now, Ishan was the one they trusted. Suryakumar Yadav stated clearly, “No, sir, Ishan will play in the first T20. We selected him first, he was also part of the World Cup squad, and he hasn’t played in a while. Since we selected him, he deserves to play.”
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He further stated that if it were a matter of number 4 or 5, the situation might have been different, but in Tilak’s absence, Ishan is the best option. Ishan Kishan will play a T20 International for India after nearly two years. His last T20I match was against Australia in November 2023, while his last international match came in a Test against the West Indies in July 2024.
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Ishan Kishan earned this opportunity thanks to his impressive performance in domestic cricket. He led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title and scored 517 runs in 10 matches. His strike rate of over 197 caught the attention of the selectors.