Ishan Kishan has a groin niggle, and the southpaw could miss the second T20I against New Zealand on October 24. He didn’t bat at the No.3 spot, with the team management sending Tilak Varma. When India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was asked about the move, he revealed that Kishan was not 100 percent fit, and that’s why the captain and coach decided to promote Tilak in the batting order. For the record, Varma has smashed two T20I centuries as a No.

Ishan suffered an injury while fielding in the first innings of the series opener on Thursday (October 22). If he fails to recover on time, the decision-makers will recall Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to the starting XI, with Sanju Samson taking Kishan’s place in the batting order.

In the Asian Games 2026, Vaibhav and Abhishek Sharma opened the innings while Samson batted at no.3. It was the last time the young batter was seen in action, as he was benched for the five-match T20I series against the West Indies and was not a part of the playing group in the first game against the Kiwis.

Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer have clearly stated that Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his chances, as the two regular openers have been contributing to the team’s success for a long time.

In the opening fixture, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson added 93 runs for the first wicket in a 226-run chase, which allowed the other batters to settle down before going after the rival bowlers. India secured a 4-wicket win, and Samson was named the Player of the Match for his 67 runs off 33 balls, laced with 8 fours and 4 sixes. Although Abhishek managed 29 off 12, his contribution proved crucial in the context of the game.

Gambhir and Iyer would be under pressure, as breaking the successful opening partnership of Abhishek and Samson won’t be easy for them, but Ishan’s fitness concerns have left them with no choice but to do the unthinkable.