Ishan Kishan ruled out of 2nd NZ T20I with injury
What's the story
Indian cricket team's wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the second T20I against New Zealand due to a groin strain. The match will be played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday. The injury was confirmed by a statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday. Kishan suffered a right adductor strain during India's first T20I match against New Zealand on Thursday.
Batting order change
Kotak provides update on Kishan's injury
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had revealed that this injury is why Kishan batted at No. 5 instead of his usual No. 3 position during the first match of the series.
"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 said after the game.
The coach further hinted that it is "unlikely he will play tomorrow's match as well," leaving India with a selection conundrum ahead of their next game.
Possible replacement
Sooryavanshi could replace Kishan
With Kishan ruled out, Kotak hinted that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could be his replacement.
He said, "Unless he recovers completely, which the medical team will advise, Vaibhav could definitely step in for him."
Sooryavanshi, who has been a T20 batting machine, missed out on selection for the first match.
He last played for India in the Asian Games final against Pakistan and remained on the bench during the recently concluded West Indies series.
The 15-year-old's first eight T20Is have resulted in 246 runs at a strike rate of186.36.
Match recap
India beat NZ in 1st T20I
In the first T20I, India chased down a target of 226 runs with four wickets and two balls to spare.
Sanju Samson led the charge with a blistering 67 off just 33 deliveries.
He was well supported by Shreyas Iyer, who scored 42 runs, and Naman Dhir, who remained unbeaten on 42 off just 15 balls.
The win gave India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series against New Zealand.
Twitter Post
Here is BCCI's post!
𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲:
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2026
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 pic.twitter.com/QbZpuVh1hQ