India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the second T20 International against New Zealand due to a right adductor strain sustained during the opening match of the five-game series.
India won the first T20I by four wickets in Christchurch on Thursday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed Kishan’s absence and said its medical team was monitoring his progress.
In an official statement, the BCCI said Kishan had suffered a low-grade right adductor strain during the series opener.
The adductor muscles are located on the inner side of the thigh and help with leg movement. The board has not announced a specific recovery timeline for the 28-year-old batter.
Although Kishan had limited impact with the bat in the first match, his absence removes an important batting option from India’s squad for the second T20I.
Kishan’s absence could open the door for 15-year-old batting prospect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to feature in the playing XI.
Sooryavanshi recently represented India at the Asian Games in Japan, scoring 15 in the semifinal against Sri Lanka and 38 in the final against Pakistan. India secured its second consecutive gold medal in the competition.
However, India captain Shreyas Iyer had previously indicated that Sooryavanshi would have to wait for his opportunity, citing the consistency of opening batters Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged the challenge Sooryavanshi could pose if selected.
Santner said the young batter would be difficult to contain, while noting that New Zealand had worked on plans to counter his aggressive batting style.
His potential inclusion could therefore become a key talking point ahead of the second match.
Kishan’s injury creates a selection decision for India as the team looks to maintain its winning start to the series. The management must balance the need for a replacement with the form and consistency of its existing batting options.
