Ishan Kishan will miss the Wellington fixture

India will be without wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan for their upcoming T20I clash against New Zealand in Wellington on October 27, 2026. He is currently recovering from a right adductor strain that he initially suffered during the series opener in Christchurch. Consequently, the official medical staff continues to monitor his rehabilitation closely, completely ruling him out of consecutive fixtures after he already missed the second game. His unexpected injury is a setback to the touring lineup. Medical breaks temporarily halt Kishan from achieving a remarkable batting milestone. He currently needs only six additional runs to eclipse the established calendar-year scoring benchmark of 1,164 runs currently held by Suryakumar Yadav. Throughout 2026, the explosive left-hander has accumulated 1,159 runs across 35 appearances, boasting an aggressive strike rate of 171.44 along with one century and seven half-centuries. Furthermore, his recent form includes an additional 174 runs from five ODI matches earlier this season.

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Squad adjustments and replacements

To address this top-order vacancy, team management retains Kumar Kushagra within the squad as official cover. Kushagra earned his international spot following exceptional domestic performances, tallying 641 runs over his last 14 innings with a solid average of 53.41, including two centuries. Meanwhile, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi might get another opportunity to anchor the innings at number three. Even though he struggled in the previous outing by scoring just four runs from eight deliveries, the young talent possesses a career strike rate of 178.57 and two half-centuries over nine T20I matches.