Ishan Kishan injured? India batter suffers groin niggle, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could play 2nd T20I vs New Zealand originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Ishan Kishan won't play India's 2nd T20I against New Zealand due to a groin niggle, BCCI confirmed.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could replace Kishan if he fails to recover.
- India lead 1-0 ahead of Saturday’s Christchurch match after winning the opener by 4 wickets.
MORE:IND vs NZ 1st T20I 2026: Samson & Dhir set up a 4-wicket win
Why won't Ishan Kishan play 2nd T20I against New Zealand?
India could alter their batting lineup in the upcoming second T20I against New Zealand after Ishan Kishan strained his groin in the 1st T20I of the five-match series. This also led to Kishan batting at No. 5 in the first match rather than his usual No. 3 spot.
Kishan had a quick outing in the first T20I as he made just one run from three balls and got out against the bowling of Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner. On the other hand, Tilak Varma batted at No. 3 but scored just six runs from 11 balls.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak raised doubts regarding Ishan Kishan’s participation in Saturday’s match at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
“There was a lot of speculation; I have also seen, just because Ishan had a strain in his groin, the batting order was changed,” he told reporters.
Kotak also said that it is “unlikely he (Kishan) will play tomorrow’s (Saturday) match as well”.
On Friday, BCCI formally confirmed that Kishan has been ruled out of action for the second match as their statement read, "Ishan Kishan is ruled out of the second T20I against New Zealand due to a low grade right adductor strain, which he sustained during the first T20I of the series. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress."
𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: Ishan Kishan is ruled out of the second T20I against New Zealand due to a low grade right adductor strain, which he sustained during the first T20I of the series. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress. #TeamIndia | #NZvIND https://t.co/QbZpuVh1hQ
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2026
MORE:Decision to send Tilak at No.3 instead of Ishan comes under fire
Can Vaibhav Sooryavanshi replace Ishan Kishan in India's playing XI?
BCCI/Creimas
With Kishan missing out, India could replace him with the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in their playing XI in the second match of the series.
Speaking about Sooryavanshi, Kotak had said, “If Ishan doesn’t play, unless he recovers completely, which the medical team will advise, Vaibhav could definitely step in for him. He is one of the strongest contenders.”
The teenager has already left his mark in the T20 format through his aggressive style of playing in the top batting position. He has scored 776 runs for Rajasthan Royals in IPL and has played for India in eight T20Is, aggregating 246 runs at a strike rate of 186.36, including two half-centuries.
Sooryavanshi was not a part of India's plans for the 1st T20I. India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer had earlier mentioned that the young cricketer had to wait for his chance due to the consistency of the opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.
MORE:'Is the 15-year-old kid playing?': Shastri warns India against benching Sooryavanshi
Could Vaibhav Sooryavanshi make the most of his chance?
In case Ishan Kishan doesn't come into the picture, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can join Abhishek Sharma as an opener and Sanju Samson can come in at No. 3 following the approach that was adopted by India during the Asian Games.
Samson performed well in the first T20I against New Zealand and scored 67 runs as India chased a target of 226 runs. Naman Dhir came in as a finisher and remained not out on 42 runs as India won the game by four wickets with two balls left.
Sooryavanshi's aggressive batting can certainly provide India another attacking option in the opening position while Samson's flexibility will prove to be very handy. However, the teenager needs to get a proper role rather than draw expectations from him at international level.
All in all, the availability of Kishan will decide whether India needs another change or not.
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