Two years after his total ouster from the India setup across formats, Ishan Kishan is set to make his return with the national team in their first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur on Wednesday. After spearheading Jharkhand’s title run with an impressive showing at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last month, Kishan was drafted into India’s squad for the T20 World Cup in a surprise decision that saw vice-captain Shubman Gill dropped in pursuit of team balance. With the recent injury to Tilak Varma, skipper Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that Kishan will play his first match in India colours since November 2023 on Wednesday. “Ishan will play at No.3 tomorrow,” Surya confirmed to reporters here on Tuesday. He went on to explain Kishan’s inclusion over that of Shreyas Iyer, who was the squad replacement for Tilak for this series. “We picked him first for the World Cup team, so it’s only fair that he gets the chance first. He also has not played for India in a long time. He deserves to play ahead. Unfortunately, Tilak is not in that position, so we feel Ishan is our best bet at No. 3.” What that means for the India skipper himself is not so clear. Desperately struggling for form, going 22 innings without a 50+ score for India, Surya may have believed that moving up from No. 4 to No. 3 would be a fruitful call. But he also confirmed that there are no changes for him in the batting order, meaning that only if there is a special need for a right-hander within the context of the match situation will he play at No. 3. Ahead of the crucial five-match home series against New Zealand, which will act as the final preparation for the T20 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka, the India captain said he spent much of the last month trying to reconcile his own game and the template of the team to try to return to form. “I’m still batting in the nets the way I always have,” he said. “I’ve been out of the runs. But I can’t change my identity. I have decided to keep doing what I have been doing in the last three or four years that has given me a lot of success. If the performance comes, I’ll take it; if it doesn’t, it’s back to the drawing board.”
Ishan Kishan to play for India in first T20I against New Zealand
