India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match: India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav on Tuesday confirmed that wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan will bat at No. 3 in the first T20 International against New Zealand in Nagpur. Kishan will replace the injured Tilak Varma in the batting order. India’s team management had a selection decision to make after Tilak Varma was ruled out of the first three matches following surgery. Both Kishan and Shreyas Iyer were in contention for the vacant spot. Kishan was part of the original squad, while Iyer was added later as a replacement.

Explaining the decision, Suryakumar said Kishan deserved the opportunity as he is part of India’s plans for the 2026 T20 World Cup. “Ishan Kishan will play at the number three position. He is part of the T20 World Cup team and has been doing well in domestic cricket. So I feel he deserves to play ahead. I think Ishan is our best bet at number 3," he said  at the pre-match press conference ahead of 1st T20I against New Zealand. He also spoke about the injury setbacks in the squad. “You can’t do anything about injuries. It will be an opportunity for a new player, and I wish him all the best,” he added.

Kishan was included in the T20I squad after Shubman Gill was dropped following India’s 3-1 home series win over South Africa. The selectors rewarded the left-hander after his strong performance in the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he finished as the tournament’s top scorer and led Jharkhand to their maiden title. The opening match against New Zealand will mark Kishan’s return to T20 internationals after more than two years. His last appearance in the format came against Australia in November 2023, where he was dismissed for a duck. He had also batted at No. 3 in that series.