Ishan Kishan ruled out of 2nd T20I vs New Zealand- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set to replace

Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has confirmed that wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan suffered a groin niggle during the opening T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand on October 22 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, and that 15-year-old opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is expected to return to the XI.  

India took a 1-0 series lead after a record-breaking chase of 226 against the Blackcaps. Sanju Samson smashed a dashing knock of 67 runs off 33 balls while the contributions from Naman Dhir and Shreyas Iyer propelled them over the line by four wickets.  

Kishan’s groin niggle opens the door for Sooryavanshi

After the end of the first game, Kotak, during the press conference, revealed that Kishan’s injury prompted the management to change their batting order, as he noted that Sooryavanshi could be a strong contender to replace the Jharkhand batter.

“There was a lot of speculation; I have also seen that, just because Ishan had a strain in his groin, the batting order was changed. If Ishan doesn’t play, unless he recovers completely, which the medical team will advise, Vaibhav could definitely step in for him. He is one of the strongest contenders.” Kotak expressed.

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India promoted Tilak at number three while Kishan came out to bat at number five. The former struggled for his six runs off 11 balls before Michael Bracewell dismissed him, while Kishan managed just one off three balls before falling to Mitchell Santner.

How has Vaibhav Sooryavanshi performed in T20Is?

Sooryavanshi’s last contest for India came through the Asian Games 2026 when he was part of the Asian Games 2026 in Nisshin. He smashed 38 runs against Sri Lanka before collecting 15 runs against Pakistan in the final of the competition.

The left-handed batter has smashed 246 runs in eight innings of the T20Is at an average of 30.75 and a blistering strike rate of 186.36, thanks to his two half-centuries at the best score of 81 runs. At 15, the youngster has broken several records with the bat.

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Sooryavanshi recorded a successful campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Rajasthan Royals (RR). The southpaw nailed 776 runs in 16 innings at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.30, with six fifties and two centuries, with the best score of 103.