Ishan Kishan was left out of India’s playing XI for the fourth T20I against New Zealand at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam after picking up a minor injury. The wicketkeeper-batter had looked in good touch in the earlier games, including a quick 28 off just 13 balls, but a small niggle from the previous match forced the team to play it safe.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed the issue before the game, explaining that the team management didn’t want to take any chances. Arshdeep Singh was brought into the XI in Kishan’s place, leading to a slight tweak in India’s team balance.
Ishan Kishan’s Standout Knock Still Fresh
Despite missing out on this match, Kishan’s impact in the series has been hard to ignore. In Raipur, he played a blistering knock of 76 from 32 deliveries while chasing a challenging target of 209.
His fearless hitting shifted the momentum firmly in India’s favour and proved to be the turning point of the match. The innings earned him the Player of the Match award and stood out as one of the highlights of the series so far.
Suryakumar Yadav Explains the Team Changes
After winning the toss, Suryakumar Yadav spoke about the reasons behind the changes to the playing XI. He also shared an update on Axar Patel’s fitness and stressed the need for the batters to step up while continuing to play positive cricket.
“Arshdeep comes in for Ishan Kishan, who picked up a niggle in the last game. Axar Patel still needs a bit more time, so hopefully we’ll see him in the next game. The batters will need to take a bit more responsibility, but at the same time not shy away from playing with fearless intent. We’ve got five good bowling options today, so we’ll see how it goes,” Suryakumar said at the toss.
India Choose to Bowl First
Explaining the decision to bowl first, the skipper spoke about the pitch conditions and the thinking behind the call. He pointed to the presence of dew, the nature of the surface, and the importance of sticking to the team’s approach.
“We’re going to bowl first. It looks like a good wicket, and we’ll get a chance to practise here later. There was a lot of dew last night and today it’s a little humid as well, so we feel that in the second innings the ball will come onto the bat nicely. I think the important thing is to repeat the good habits we’ve built over the past year, not just in this series. We want to keep doing the good things we’ve been doing, learn from the last game, and go out there, enjoy ourselves, play the format the way it’s meant to be played, and entertain the people who’ve come here. It’s a beautiful ground and a lovely crowd here. Hopefully the boys are charged up and we have a good, entertaining night,” Surya said.
Focus on Playing Fearless Cricket
With India opting to bowl first and making a few adjustments to the lineup, the focus remains on playing with freedom and confidence. Even without Ishan Kishan, the team believes it has the balance and depth needed to put on a strong performance and entertain the fans in Visakhapatnam.
