Record chase brings India a win but also bad news: Ishan Kishan ruled out of second T20I with injury
India have recorded a record-breaking win in the first T20I against New Zealand. Chasing the highest target in their T20I history, they have taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. But amid the joy of victory came bad news — star batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the next match through injury.
India and New Zealand will meet in the second T20I on Saturday in Christchurch. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said Kishan will not be able to play in that match.
According to the BCCI, Kishan has been ruled out of the second T20I against New Zealand due to a low-grade right adductor strain. He picked up the injury during the first match. The BCCI medical team is monitoring his progress.
The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter injured his right adductor midway through the first match. Tilak Varma therefore batted at number three in his place. Neither of them, however, could do anything notable with the bat.
Earlier in the first T20I, Ishan Kishan, batting at number five, was caught at the boundary for just 1 run. India's batting coach Sitangshu Kotak later revealed his groin injury.
Kishan's failure, however, did not stand in the way of India's record chase. The visitors crossed New Zealand's target of 226 runs with 2 balls and 4 wickets to spare.
Sanju Samson played a major role in that chase, scoring 67 off 33 balls. Captain Shreyas Iyer made 42 off 28 balls, and Naman Dhir's blistering 42 off 15 balls late in the innings made the victory comfortable.
The injury to the 28-year-old Kishan could open a fresh opportunity for Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The 15-year-old opener has spent India's last nine bilateral T20Is sitting on the bench.
Vaibhav did play in the Asian Games cricket semi-final and final in between, where India won gold. Despite that experience, a place in the playing XI of a bilateral series had remained elusive for him.
Apart from Vaibhav, all-rounder Shivam Dube is also a batting option in India's squad. However, his chances of coming into the XI in Kishan's place are considered slim.
Whether Kishan can return for the remaining matches of the series depends on the progress of his injury. The team will now have to look to the outcome of the BCCI medical team's monitoring.
For now, India must plan for Saturday's Christchurch match without Kishan. Although they carry the confidence of a record win, they are being forced to change the combination of their XI.
