Ishan Kishan‘s exile from Team India is well and truly over. After making his way into the squad for the five matches against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup, the left-handed batter from Jharkhand is all set to feature in the playing XI for the first game in Nagpur on Wednesday. India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav on Tuesday confirmed that the 27-year-old will indeed be featuring in the lineup for the first game against the Black Caps and would bat at No.3.
Ishan wouldn’t have featured in the playing XI had Tilak Varma been available, but the latter was ruled out for the first three matches after undergoing surgery for an abdominal issue in Rajkot. Tilak has been discharged and is recovering well at the Centre of Excellence (CoE); however, it’s unclear whether he will be fit in time for the last two matches.
In the meantime, the management has decided to give Ishan a go in the playing XI, given that he’s part of the T20 World Cup squad and his services could be required if Tilak fails to recover in time. The management had two options for the No. 3 position, but Ishan has been preferred over Shreyas Iyer for now.
When Suryakumar was asked whether Shreyas is certain to play in the first T20I, the 35-year-old 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.”
“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,” he added in the pre-match press conference.
Ishan will be playing his first T20I for India in more than two years’ time. His last T20I appearance came in November 2023 against Australia, while his last international game for India came in July 2024 when he represented the team in a Test against the West Indies.
The wicketkeeper-batter was previously dropped from India’s centrally contracted players list after miscommunication with the team management, involving chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar and the then head coach Rahul Dravid. There is a lot of conjecture about what exactly happened, but it all stemmed after Ishan wanted to make his way back from South Africa midway.
Ishan rewarded for SMAT performances
No one expected Ishan to be named in the squad for the World Cup and the series against New Zealand, but the Agarkar-led committee rewarded the player from Jharkhand for his performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he led the side to the title win. He was also exceptional with the bat, scoring 517 runs in 10 matches with a strike rate of 197.33.
Speaking of the series against New Zealand, India would also be without Washington Sundar, who suffered an injury in the first ODI. The All India Men’s Senior Selection Committee have already added Shreyas Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi to the squad for the series against the Black Caps.
“Injuries and 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,” said the Indian captain.
