Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the second T20I between India and New Zealand at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, after sustaining a low-grade right adductor strain during the first match at the same venue. The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed the groin injury, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named in the playing XI as his direct replacement.
India had won the first T20I by four wickets and carried that momentum into the toss for the second game. Shreyas Iyer, leading the side, elected to bowl first after winning the toss, citing dew as a factor in that decision. Alongside Kishan's enforced absence, India also made a tactical change, bringing in Prince Yadav in place of Mayank, with Sooryavanshi slotted in to bat at number three.
What injury has kept Ishan Kishan out of the second T20I?
Kishan picked up a low-grade right adductor strain, commonly referred to as a groin strain, while playing in the first T20I in Christchurch. The BCCI confirmed the nature of the injury ahead of the second match, making it clear that he would not be available for selection. No recovery timeline has been disclosed by the board at this stage.
The adductor muscle group is located in the inner thigh and is frequently stressed during explosive lateral movements and batting footwork. A low-grade strain typically requires a short period of rest, though the exact duration of Kishan's absence has not been communicated officially. His unavailability opened the door for Sooryavanshi to feature in the starting line-up at Hagley Oval.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi steps directly into the India XI in place of Kishan, with Iyer confirming that Sooryavanshi will bat at number three.
What did the captains say?
Shreyas Iyer, India Captain:
"We're going to bowl first. Yes, absolutely. That's one of the reasons (On dew being a factor). We have had a little bit of time to recover and catch up on some sleep. Everyone is in decent shape, I would say. Some of the players, including myself, do their training on match day. So, we are in a good place. It is important to maintain the aggression and repeat the things we did well in the first game. In addition, we need to be proactive in the field and ensure we don't have an extra fielder inside the circle, especially in the last over. Ishan is injured, so Vaibhav comes in for him. Prince comes in for Mayank, which is just a tactical change. He is going to bat at number three (on Vaibhav's batting position)".
Mitchell Santner, New Zealand captain:
"(On the 1st T20I) They are a very good team, and I think we missed the mark slightly. That comes from the way they approach their game. It was a great game of cricket in the end. Losing in the last over is disappointing, but there were obviously many positives. We need to execute the small details better and see what happens. (On the preparation for this match) Training was optional. We had a morning session, and we only got back here around 2 a.m. Therefore, it was a day to refresh, especially with the games coming thick and fast. I think the guys rested well and should be ready to go today. (On the changes) Duffy comes in for Milne. With the number of games we have coming up, not just T20s but one-day internationals as well, there will be some rotation among the senior players, especially with a lot of Test cricket coming up. It is nothing to do with performance; it is just a bit of rotation, and we will see what Duffy can do tonight."
India XI:
Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav
New Zealand XI:
Finn Allen, Tim Seifert(w), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson
