NZ vs IND: Ishan Kishan recovering well but ruled out of 3rd T20I in Wellington

India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the third T20I against New Zealand, scheduled to be played on Tuesday, October 27 at Hnry Stadium, Wellington. Kishan missed the second T20I in Christchurch as well, having suffered a low-grade right adductor strain during the series opener.

The southpaw is recovering well but is yet to regain match fitness, and is under continued supervision of the BCCI medical team. Kumar Kushagra will continue to be with the team as a cover for Kishan for the third T20I.

“Ishan Kishan is recovering well from his low grade right adductor strain, which he sustained during the first T20I of the series against New Zealand. He is yet to regain match fitness and is ruled out of the third T20I to be played on October 27, 2026 in Wellington. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring Ishan's progress,” the BCCI said via a post on its X account.

India brought in teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in Kishan’s place during the second T20I. However, the youngster failed to leave a mark and got dismissed for 4 (8). Chasing a target of 181, India were in deep trouble at 70/5 after 10.5 overs.

India lead series 2-0

However, Tilak Varma (51* off 26) stitched game-changing partnerships with Naman Dhir (31 off 17) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (26* off 13) to take the team over the line on the penultimate ball of the match. As a result, India secured a four-wicket win to take a 2-0 lead in the series, heading into the third T20I.