Published on: Oct 23, 2026 3:30 pm IST|Updated on: Oct 23, 2026 3:30 pm IST
Team India has suffered an injury setback ahead of the 2nd T20I against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, as star batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the fixture due to a groin injury. The injury to the southpaw means that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may come into the top order and perhaps form the opening pair with fellow left-hand batter Abhishek Sharma.
According to a BCCI official update, Ishan sustained a right adductor strain during the India Tour of New Zealand 2026 T20I series opener, which India went on to win by four wickets by chasing a humongous score of 225. The setback was confirmed by India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak during a press interaction ahead of the second T20I set to take place on October 24.
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Addressing the media, Sitanshu revealed Ishan Kishan’s injury as he quoted,
“Ishan Kishan has a niggle in his groin. I know there was speculation (about the change in the batting order) but it wasn’t a change as such. It was because of the groin strain. I think he is unlikely for one game.”
With Ishan not in the thick of things for the second T20I, his fellow statesman, the young and exciting Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, is expected to feature as an opener in the second T20I. Vaibhav will most probably replace Ishan in the eleven and will form the opening pair alongside Abhishe Sharma.
Vaibhav is the only frontline batter in the squad and is slated to come in as Ishan Kishan’s injury replacement, as updated by the batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak. Speaking about potential team combinations and Sooryavanshi’s inclusion for the second match, Kotak explained the medical and tactical perspective:
“If Ishan can’t play – unless he recovers completely, the medical team will tell [us] – then obviously Vaibhav comes into the calculations as a batter.”
Head coach Gautam Gambhir doesn’t believe in a settled batting order, particularly in the shortest format of the game. We witnessed Tilak Varma batting at no. 3 in the last game and failed miserably. He took Ishan Kishan’s spot at no. 3 but couldn’t do any damage to the opposition.
With Sooryavanshi expected to play and open the innings alongside Punjab’s batter Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson may have to compromise on his batting position in the eleven. If Gambhir wants Tilak to continue batting at 3, Sanju will have to drop down to no. 5, with the no. 4 spot assigned to skipper Shreyas Iyer. The other and only batting position left for Sanju is batting at no. 3, only if Tilak goes down to his original position of no. 5.
The Indian team management expects Ishan to be monitored closely by the medical staff in hopes of a swift recovery ahead of the subsequent matches in the series. For now, he is surely out of the 2nd T20I set to be played on October 24 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.