India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav officially confirmed that Ishan Kishan will bat at No.3 in the first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur.
Even though Shreyas Iyer is part of the squad, the team management has preferred Ishan Kishan for the No.3 role, citing team balance and World Cup planning.
Tilak Varma’s abdominal surgery ruled him out of the first three T20Is, making Ishan the first-choice replacement at No.3 rather than shifting the batting order.
Suryakumar Yadav stressed that Ishan is part of India’s T20 World Cup squad, which played a major role in backing him for a long run in the middle order.
This will be Ishan Kishan’s first T20I appearance since November 2023, marking a major comeback after being sidelined due to selection and contract issues.
Ishan’s selection comes after a stellar Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he scored 517 runs at a strike rate of 197.33 and led his team to the title, forcing selectors to take notice.