Ishan Kishan set to miss third T20I in New Zealand series, India lacking No.3 power

Ishan Kishan is set to miss the third Twenty20 international of India's ongoing series against New Zealand after failing to recover from a low-grade strain in his right adductor, an update published on October 24, 2026 said. The wicketkeeper-batter was also unavailable for the second T20I for the same issue.

The left-hander has been one of India's more attack-minded options, able to bat across the top and middle order, and his continued absence removes that flexibility from the combination. Team management view the loss of Kishan's power as a particular problem for the No.3 position.

Kishan batted at No.5 in the first game because of the adductor problem, with Tilak Varma promoted to No.3; Varma scored 6 off 11 balls in that match. The change in roles was made specifically to manage Kishan's issue while preserving the team's top-order balance.

For the second T20I India selected Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the No.3 role, but the 15-year-old scored 4 off 8 balls and did not produce the intended impact. The team has therefore continued to seek a stable solution for the crucial third position.

Since returning to the Indian team, Kishan has mainly operated in the top order. He has scored 1159 runs from 35 matches with an average of 36.21 and a strike-rate of 171.44, including 884 runs at No.3 in 26 innings.

India have called up Kumar Kushagra, a Jharkhand teammate of Kishan, as cover for the wicketkeeper-batter, and the medical staff are keeping a close eye on Kishan's fitness and recovery. The selectors and support staff remain involved in monitoring his progress.

India hope to have Kishan available when the series moves to Auckland on Friday, October 30.