Iyer out, Kishan in! India squad for New Zealand T20 series

by Devesh Jaganath

image Iyer out, Kishan in! India squad for New Zealand T20 series
The T20I leg of New Zealand’s tour to India will kick off this afternoon with the first of the five matches set to be played at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. The Black Caps drew first blood by winning the ODI series 2-1, and they will want to keep the momentum going leading up to the T20 World Cup here next month.

Ishan Kishan to replace Iyer in T20I series opener 

India are under major pressure to bounce back from a disappointing ODI series over the last two weeks, where New Zealand overturned a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1, marking their first-ever 50-over series victory over the Men in Blue in India. 

An under-pressure Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team into battle, while Axar Patel has been appointed as his deputy following the shock exclusion of Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill from the 15-man squad for the upcoming series. 

Shreyas Iyer was expected to be a part of the opening match on Wednesday, but Yadav confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Ishan Kishan has been selected ahead of Iyer, due to his recent form domestically and his inclusion in the 2026 T20 World Cup. He said: 

“Ishan will play at No.3. We picked him first, and he is in the World Cup team as well. So he deserves to play, and he hasn't played for us for a very long time. When we have picked him, I think he deserves to play.”

Along with Kishan, Rinku Singh has also earned a recall to the squad and is likely to slot in at number seven. Depending on the surface in Nagpur, Yadav will have to decide between Harshit Rana or Shivam Dube at number eight, and Arshdeep Singh or Kuldeep Yadav at nine. 

In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah will make his return to the team after being rested for the ODI series as part of his ongoing workload management, while the number one-ranked T20I bowler in the world, Varun Chakaravarthy, will lead India’s spin attack. 

India T20 Squad vs New Zealand 

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

New Zealand call-up rising star Kristian Clarke for T20I series 

ind_vs_nz_t20i_2

In the opposite dressing room, New Zealand have opted to call up young all-rounder Kristian Clarke to their squad for the first three games of the series, with Adam Milne and Michael Bracewell both listed as doubts owing to injuries. 

Milne sustained a hamstring strain while featuring for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 tournament in South Africa, while Bracewell picked up an issue with his calf during the third and final ODI against India last weekend. 

The decision to call up Clarke follows his impressive performances for the Black Caps in ODIs, and while it is still unclear if he will feature in the opening match in Nagpur, he does bring an element of surprise to the Kiwis bowling lineup, which could prove key in this series. 

New Zealand T20 Squad vs India

New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Kristian Clarke, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi