Ishan Kishan set for T20I return in India’s first match vs New Zealand
Ishan Kishan is poised for a T20I comeback, as he’s included in India’s squad for the first T20I against New Zealand, boosting batting firepower and team balance.
Last Updated: 07.17 PM, Jan 21, 2026
India's star keeper-batter Ishan Kishan is all set to make his comeback in the first T20I match against New Zealand on January 22 in Nagpur. While two of the best T20I sides will clash against each other, Kishan will play a match after two years and two months. With consistent performance in the domestic cricket, the left-handed batter forced the selectors to go with him in the T20I squad against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, India lost the toss and were forced to bat first. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav looked quite excited about the series and mentioned that they are happy to bat first. India are going with eight batters in this game. The Kiwis won the ODI series 2-1 and hence, the home side will be under pressure.
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Robinson, Devon Conway(w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy
India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah
I’ve been short of runs: Suryakumar Yadav
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav has been facing many criticism regarding his batting performance over the past few years. SKY will play his 100th T20I match in the first game against New Zealand. Ahead of the match, he opened up about his batting and how he is struggling to score runs.
“I’ve been short of 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, which has given me a lot of success,” Suryakumar said.
"If I were playing a singles sport like table tennis or lawn tennis, I would have given more thought to it. This is a team sport, and my first responsibility is to know how the team is doing. I’m happy if I perform in the team’s victory. If not, it doesn’t matter, as it can happen. I have to look after the other 14 players also, as I’ve been appointed as the leader of everyone,” he added.
Where to watch IND vs NZ matches?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs New Zealand matches from January 22 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.