Nagpur T20I: Ishan Kishan to bat at three against NZ
What's the story
Ahead of India's first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur, captain Suryakumar Yadav has announced that Ishan Kishan will be batting at the crucial No. 3 position. Suryakumar announced the same during the pre-match press conference on Tuesday. The Indian skipper emphasized Kishan's inclusion in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad and his impressive performance in domestic cricket. This ends the debate over the vacant No. 3 spot with the injured Tilak Varma's absence.
Context
Why does this story matter?
While Ishan earlier made the squads for the NZ series and the following T20 World Cup, Shreyas Iyer was later called up as backup for the injured Tilak Varma. Settling the debate over who will replace Tilak in the batting order, Suryakumar confirmed that "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."
Comeback
Ishan's absence and domestic success
Ishan last played a T20I in November 2023 against Australia and has since been absent from the national team in this format. However, he was the highest run-scorer in the 2025/26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He hammered 517 runs from 10 matches at 57.44 (SR: 197.32). Leading Jharkhand to the title, he hit two centuries, including one in the final against Haryana.
Player stats
A look at Ishan's T20I record
In four T20Is playing at No. 3, Ishan has scored 114 runs at an average of 28.50 with two fifties. His strike rate at this position reads 134.11. Since making his T20I debut against England in March 2021, the left-handed batter has featured in 32 matches and amassed 796 runs at an average of 25.67. He has also scored six half-centuries during this time. His career strike rate reads 124.37.
Information
India's squad for NZ T20Is
Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), and Ravi Bishnoi.