Ishan Kishan was left out of India’s playing XI for the fourth T20I against New Zealand at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam due to a minor injury concern. The wicketkeeper-batter had shown encouraging form in the previous games, including a brisk 28 off just 13 deliveries, but a niggle picked up during the last match ruled him out of contention for Wednesday’s clash. India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed the issue ahead of the game, explaining that the team management did not want to take any risks. As a result, Arshdeep Singh was drafted into the XI, prompting a slight reshuffle in India’s combination for the contest.
Ishan made his impact felt in Raipur with a rapid 76 from 32 deliveries while chasing a tricky target of 209. His fearless strokeplay swung the momentum India’s way and proved decisive, earning him the Player of the Match award for a knock that stood out under pressure.
Suryakumar offered clarity on the team changes and approach after winning the toss, outlining the reasons behind Kishan’s absence and Axar Patel’s continued recovery. He also stressed the need for the batters to shoulder greater responsibility while maintaining an aggressive mindset, confident in the bowling resources at his disposal.
“Arshdeep comes in for Ishan Kishan, who picked up a niggle in the last game. Axar Patel still needs a bit more time, so hopefully we’ll see him in the next game. The batters will need to take a bit more responsibility, but at the same time not shy away from playing with fearless intent. We’ve got five good bowling options today, so we’ll see how it goes,” Suryakumar said at the toss.
India opt to bowl against New Zealand
Explaining the decision at the toss, the skipper laid out the thinking behind bowling first and spoke about the conditions on offer. He highlighted the importance of sticking to the team’s core principles, learning from recent games, and playing with freedom, while also underlining the desire to put on an entertaining show for the fans in attendance.
“We’re going to bowl first. It looks like a good wicket, and we’ll get a chance to practise here later. There was a lot of dew last night and today it’s a little humid as well, so we feel that in the second innings the ball will come onto the bat nicely. I think the important thing is to repeat the good habits we’ve built over the past year, not just in this series. We want to keep doing the good things we’ve been doing, learn from the last game, and go out there, enjoy ourselves, play the format the way it’s meant to be played, and entertain the people who’ve come here. It’s a beautiful ground and a lovely crowd here. Hopefully the boys are charged up and we have a good, entertaining night,” Surya said.
