Team India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was the star of the show in the second T20I against New Zealand in Raipur on Friday, January 23. The left-hander smashed 76 runs off just 32 balls as India chased down 209 runs in 15.2 overs to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Ishan had failed to impress in his first match after returning to international cricket following a two-year gap. However, he reminded everyone why he was picked at the last moment, playing a stunning knock in the second T20I. His brilliant performance earned him the Player of the Match award.

Ishan Kishan is currently part of the playing XI because Tilak Varma is recovering from an injury. With Ishan in such great form, the team management now faces a tough challenge to find a way to fit both left-handers in the XI. Tilak Varma is expected to return later in the series. He is currently completing his recovery at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

With that in mind, let us look at three ways India can include Ishan Kishan in the playing XI after Tilak Varma’s return in the IND vs NZ 2026 T20I series.

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1. Straight swap with Sanju Samson at the top of the order

The second T20I against New Zealand, where Ishan Kishan played well and Sanju Samson failed, could become a key moment in the fight for the opening slot. So far, only Abhishek Sharma has done enough to fix his place at the top. Due to Samson’s inconsistency, the team management may soon think about giving Ishan Kishan a chance to open the innings.

Ishan Kishan was picked in the squad because he can play on tough pitches and is comfortable as an opener. This gives India more balance in the middle and lower order. With the World Cup not far away, the team may not give Samson many more chances. One more poor performance could see Ishan Kishan promoted as opener.

If Ishan opens, Tilak Varma can return at No.3, which is his best position. This change keeps the team’s attacking style and ensures an in-form top order. However, the only drawback is that India’s top three will all be left-hand batters.

2. Demoting Tilak Varma to the No.5 slot

If both Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan score runs in the next few matches, it will create a big selection problem. Both players deserve a place in the XI, while Tilak Varma had already fixed his spot before his injury.

To fit all three batters in the team, one of them will need to bat lower down the order. Since Samson has been best as an opener and Ishan Kishan usually bats in the top three, Tilak Varma becomes the best option to move to No.5.

Tilak has batted at No.5 earlier in his T20I career and still plays that role at times for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. In T20Is, he has scored 110 runs in five innings at No.5 with a strike rate of 144.74. In the IPL, he has scored 689 runs in 25 innings at an average of 40.53. However, this move may force India to drop an all-rounder or Rinku Singh, as five specialist batters would already cover the batting depth.

3. Deploying Ishan Kishan as a finisher

A bold option would be to use Ishan Kishan as a finisher, similar to the role once played by Jitesh Sharma. This would allow Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma to bat in their preferred positions. Although most of Ishan’s T20 success has come at the top or middle order, he started his IPL career as a finisher for the Gujarat Lions.

Ishan has also shown that he can bat lower down the order. Recently, he smashed 125 off 39 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Karnataka. He also has an excellent strike rate of 191 in the death overs in T20 cricket, making him a strong option for the finisher’s role.