Kishan out of 2nd NZ T20I with adductor strain; Sooryavanshi likely in
India have lost a key batter for the second T20I against New Zealand. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan is out of Saturday's game at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The BCCI said on Friday that he has a low-grade right adductor strain, which he picked up in the series opener on Thursday. The board added that its medical team is monitoring his progress.
The statement gave no timeline for his recovery. It also did not say whether he could return later in the five-match series. For now, India only know he will miss the next game.
The injury also seems to explain a surprise in the first match. Tilak Varma was promoted to No. 3, which is Kishan's usual position, and Kishan walked in at No. 5. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak later said the order was changed because of the groin problem, and he dismissed the speculation around the move. Kishan lasted three balls, scored one run and was caught near the leg-side boundary off Mitchell Santner. Tilak was out for a short stay too, to Michael Bracewell. India still won by four wickets, chasing 226 with two balls to spare, so they lead the series 1-0.
Kotak had hinted before the BCCI update that Kishan was unlikely to play the second game. He named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as one of the strongest contenders to come in, unless Kishan recovered completely and the medical staff cleared him. Kishan has now been ruled out, so Sooryavanshi is the obvious candidate.
The replacement question is narrow because of how the squad is built. Sooryavanshi is the only other specialist batter in the touring party. The only other batting option is Shivam Dube, a seam-bowling all-rounder. He gives the team a different balance and is not a like-for-like swap for a top-order wicketkeeper-batter.
Sooryavanshi, who is 15, has had a limited but eye-catching start to international cricket. He has 246 runs from eight T20I innings at a strike rate of 186.36, including two half-centuries. He played the semi-final and final of India's Asian Games campaign. He then sat out the five-match home series against the West Indies and the New Zealand opener. His one contribution in Christchurch was a sharp boundary save as a substitute fielder. He also scored 776 runs for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026.
Kishan's absence takes away a proven aggressor. He has 1,955 runs from 67 T20Is at an average of 31.03 and a strike rate of 148.55. Earlier this series cycle he showed what he can do at No. 3, filling in for Tilak and playing quick, high-impact innings in the middle of the order. The management now has to decide who bats where in his absence. Tilak could return to the slot he held in the opener, or the team could rejig again to fit Sooryavanshi in.
The timing matters because India are building towards big white-ball assignments. Fitness calls made now will shape the settled combination. A low-grade adductor strain usually needs careful handling, and the BCCI will not want to rush him back. The same medical team will decide his availability for the rest of the T20Is. Kishan is also part of India's squad for the ODI leg of this tour, which gives the physios some time to work with.
For India, the immediate aim is to turn a 1-0 lead into a 2-0 lead without one of their most dangerous stroke-makers. For Sooryavanshi, it may be a chance to turn an impressive but short international record into a longer run in the XI.