After concluding the three-match ODI series, Team India is set to clash against New Zealand for the five T20I matches.
Ahead of the first match, Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said that wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan will be batting at the number three position, considering his performances in the domestic tournament. The skipper also labelled the left-handed batsman as the “best” at that position.
“Ishan Kishan will play at the number three position. He is part of the T20 World Cup team and has been doing well in domestic cricket. So I feel he deserves to play ahead. I think Ishan is our best bet at number 3,” said the 35-year-old cricketer during the pre-match press conference.
The first T20I match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on Wednesday at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
In T20Is, Kishan has played four matches at the number three position. The 27-year-old amassed 114 runs at an average of 28.50, including two fifties.
The wicketkeeper-batter made his T20I debut against England in March 2023. Since then, Kishan has played 32 matches and scored 796 runs at an average of 25.67. The left-handed batter has smashed six half-centuries.
He played his last T20I match against Australia in November 2023. Since then, he hasn`t played for the national side in the shortest format.
Kishan was also the leading run-getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 tournament. Kishan, who played for Jharkhand, had a vital role with the bat in helping his side to clinch the title.
After the conclusion of the five-match series against the “Black Caps”, both teams will engage in the T20 upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. The marquee tournament is scheduled to kick off from February 7 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
India`s squad for the T20I series against New Zealand
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravi Bishnoi.
(With ANI Inputs)
