Ishan Kishan set to feature in first T20I in over two years, confirms SKY

Ishan Kishan is set to make his return to India’s T20I playing XI, marking the end of his long absence from the national side. The left-hander will feature in the first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday and bat at No.3, confirmed skipper Suryakumar Yadav on the eve of the contest.

Ishan’s inclusion has been prompted by Tilak Varma’s unavailability. Tilak has been ruled out of the first three matches after undergoing surgery for an abdominal issue in Rajkot. Although he has been discharged and is recovering at the Centre of Excellence, there is no clarity yet on whether he will be fit for the final two games.

Advertisement

With Tilak out, the team management decided to back fellow southpaw Ishan, who is also part of India’s T20 World Cup squad.

The team had options for the No.3 slot, including Shreyas Iyer, but Ishan was preferred. Asked whether Shreyas would play the first T20I, Suryakumar said, “No, sir. Ishan will play at No.3. We picked him first, and he is in the World Cup team as well. So he deserves to play, and he hasn’t played for us for a very long time. When we have picked him, I think he deserves to play.”

He added, “If the positions of No.4 or 5 were being talked about, then it would have been different. Unfortunately, Tilak is not there, so Ishan is our best bet.”

This will be Ishan’s first T20I for India in over two years. His last appearance in the format came against Australia in November 2023, while his most recent international outing was a Test against the West Indies in July 2024.

Ishan had earlier fallen out of favour and was dropped from India’s central contracts list following a breakdown in communication with the team management, involving chief selector Ajit Agarkar and then head coach Rahul Dravid. The issue arose after Ishan returned midway from the South Africa tour, though the exact details were never made public.

His comeback has been driven by strong domestic form. Ishan was rewarded for his performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he captained Jharkhand to the title and scored 517 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 197.33.

India will also miss Washington Sundar in the T20I series after the off-spinning allrounder picked up an injury during the first ODI. The selectors have added Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi to the squad for the series against New Zealand.

“Injuries are part and parcel of sport. It is not in anybody’s control. Obviously, we will miss Tilak and Washington, but at the same time, someone will get an opportunity, and I wish them the best of luck,” Suryakumar said.