Ishan Kishan will miss the third T20I against New Zealand. The BCCI confirmed the news on Monday. Kishan is still recovering from a thigh injury. He suffered a right adductor strain during the first T20I last week. He also missed the second match. He has not yet regained full match fitness.
The BCCI released a statement about his condition. It said Kishan is recovering well from the low-grade strain. But he is not ready to return to action. He has been ruled out of the third T20I. That match will be played on October 27 in Wellington. The BCCI medical team is monitoring his progress. Kumar Kushagra will stay with the team for the third T20I.
The right adductor muscles are on the inner side of the thigh. They help with leg movement. Kishan’s absence gave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a chance to play in the second T20I. India had also brought in uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra as cover for Kishan. The BCCI has confirmed that Kushagra will remain with the squad for the third match.
Kushagra credits his improvement to advice from his Jharkhand teammate Ishan Kishan. In 2024, when Kushagra was not scoring runs, Kishan told him to practice his batting as much as possible. Kishan said he would not get enough time in team net sessions, so he had to arrive early. He also told Kushagra to train more in the offseason. Most importantly, Kishan told him to block out outside noise. Kushagra followed that advice. He started arriving at the nets an hour and a half before scheduled sessions. The extra work turned into runs.
India have won the first two matches of the series. They lead the five-match series 2-0. The third T20I will be played in Wellington on October 27.
How Family and Ishan Kishan Helped Kumar Kushagra Reach Team India
Kumar Kushagra is a 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Jharkhand. He has earned his first call-up to the Indian team for the ODI and T20I series in New Zealand. His journey to the top is built on relentless hard work and a unique family support system.
After finishing an India A assignment in Puducherry on October 11, Kushagra went straight back to Jamshedpur. He was not playing in Jharkhand’s Ranji Trophy opener, but he still went to the stadium. He spent the day in the stands, watching his teammates play. He said he does not want to get out of the zone.
That approach has paid off. Kushagra had a strong domestic season across formats. He scored 572 runs in the Ranji Trophy at an average of 47.66. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he made 368 runs at an average of 73.60. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was the third-highest run-scorer with 422 runs, helping Jharkhand win the title. He also scored heavily in the Duleep Trophy and for India A against Australia A.
Kushagra’s father, Shashikant Singh, has played a huge role in his development. Shashikant never played professional cricket. He worked a government job in Jamshedpur. But he was determined to make his son a cricketer. Instead of sending Kushagra to an academy, Shashikant became his coach. He read dozens of cricket books, including Bob Woolmer’s Art and Science of Cricket. He collected old magazine clippings and compiled his own cricket manual. He built a concrete pitch at home.
Shashikant and Kushagra would sit together after matches to analyse his dismissals. After the 2023-24 season, they worked on reducing the number of premeditated shots Kushagra played. Shashikant said the goal was for him to play each ball on merit. The hard work paid off. Jharkhand’s team management also moved him to number three in the batting order. He scored a double century against Baroda in only his third Ranji Trophy innings at that position.
The moment of selection was emotional. Shashikant was at home watching Kushagra’s dismissals from the Australia A series. Kushagra burst into the room and said, “Papa, ho gaya!” Shashikant asked what was done. Kushagra told him he had been picked for the last two ODIs against New Zealand. Shashikant was speechless. He told Kushagra not to rush and to focus on his game. But that one moment shook him up. He said he felt like he had achieved everything and did not need anything more now.
FAQs
Q. Why has Ishan Kishan been ruled out of the third T20I?
A. Kishan is recovering from a right adductor strain and has not regained full match fitness.
Q. Who will remain with India’s squad for the third T20I?
A. Wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra will stay with the squad.
Q. When and where will the third India vs New Zealand T20I take place?
A. The third T20I is scheduled for October 27 in Wellington.
Q. How many runs did Kumar Kushagra score in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy?
A. Kushagra scored 422 runs and helped Jharkhand win the title.
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