In a major development, India national cricket team T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has named wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan as the new No. 3 batsman for the upcoming series against the New Zealand national cricket team.
The first match of the T20I series between the India national cricket team and the New Zealand national cricket team will be played on Wednesday, January 21 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur.
Ishan Kishan will play at number 3- Suryakumar Yadav
Star wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan was dealt a blow for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 when the selection committee decided to go ahead with Shubman Gill as the opening batsman.
Gill’s exit had a wider impact as Jitesh Sharma was also dropped from the T20 squad and was replaced by Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
India recently suffered a major blow when Tilak Verma underwent minor surgery and the BCCI selection committee included Shreyas Iyer in the squad for the first three matches of the five-match series against the Kiwis.
Many expected Iyer to be a part of the starting playing eleven in place of Tilak Verma, who has mostly batted at No. 3 in T20Is, but that will not be the case as Ishan Kishan has been selected for the role.
“Ishan will play at No. 3. He is part of the World Cup squad and deserves to play,” Indian captain Suryakumar said in the press conference.
Also read: Tilak Verma hijacks Shreyas Iyer’s T20 World Cup dream after miraculous recovery after surgery
Obviously we will miss Tilak and Vashi- Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav further admitted that the absence of Tilak Verma and Washington Sundar will be felt during the series against Blackcaps.
However, he also acknowledged that injuries are an integral part of a player’s career and players who get opportunities in place of injured cricketers would want to perform at their best.
The Indian captain further said, “Obviously we will miss Tilak and Washi. But injuries are part of a player’s career. This will be an opportunity for someone else to play.”
I don’t think I need to change the way that has brought me success – Suryakumar Yadav
One of the biggest problems for India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be the terrible form of captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Suryakumar Yadav is going through a bad phase for a long time and he is not able to perform well. Talking about his poor form, Suryakumar said that he will not change his playing style.
“I don’t think I need to change the approach that has brought me success in the last three-four years. As you said, I have been batting really well in the nets. In terms of scoring runs, I will stick to my methods. If that gets me runs, then great. Otherwise, I will go back to the drawing board.”
