India will go into the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington on Tuesday without Ishan Kishan, and the decision says a lot about how this team management is thinking. There is a series to seal and a wicketkeeper batter in form waiting to return, yet there is no temptation to rush him back.
On Monday, bowling coach Morne Morkel confirmed in Wellington that Kishan would not be available for selection. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) added that the 28 year old is recovering well but has not yet regained match fitness, and its medical team is monitoring his progress.
It is the second match in a row Kishan will miss. He sat out the second T20I in Christchurch as well, after picking up a right adductor strain during the series opener last week. The message from the camp has been consistent: he is doing well, he will train, but tomorrow is too soon.
What Morkel and the BCCI actually said
Morkel kept it short and careful, which is usually how teams talk when a player is close but not quite there. “Ishan is doing well. He will be training today. For tomorrow, I think he is not available for selection, just as a precaution,” he said in Wellington.
The BCCI statement was in the same spirit. It did not put a date on his return, and it did not use words like serious or long term. It simply said Kishan is yet to regain match fitness and has been ruled out of the third T20I, to be played on October 27, 2026 in Wellington. Kumar Kushagra, the uncapped wicketkeeper batter brought in as cover, will continue to be with the team for the third match.
How the injury has unfolded
The strain came in the first T20I of this five match series. The adductor muscles sit on the inner side of the thigh, and for a wicketkeeper batter who crouches and sprints between wickets, it is the kind of niggle that can look minor in the nets and flare up in a match.
Kishan missed the second T20I in Christchurch on Saturday, with teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stepping in at No. 3. India still won, chasing down 181 by four wickets. They lead the series 2-0 after two four wicket wins in Christchurch, so Tuesday is a chance to seal the series, not a rescue act.
Who fills in, and what changes for India
With Kishan out, India still have options, and the XI has already shown it can cope. Sanju Samson, who has been part of the side through the series, gives India cover behind the stumps, while the middle order has found different heroes in each game so far.
In the second T20I, vice captain Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 51, with Nitish Kumar Reddy alongside him in an unbeaten 69 run seventh wicket stand that turned the match around. Captain Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to change a winning combination, and Kushagra staying as cover keeps the door open for a return later in the series.
New Zealand are changing too
Tuesday will not be a like for like repeat of Christchurch, because New Zealand have also reshuffled their pace attack. Lockie Ferguson will miss the third T20I and rejoin the squad for the final two matches, while Matt Henry will miss the rest of the T20I series and link up with the ODI squad in Auckland on November 2.
Kyle Jamieson, who has not featured in the series so far, joins the squad for Wellington. Blair Tickner has been added for the final three T20Is, Josh Clarkson will be available for the last two, and Matt Fisher travels to Wellington as cover for the third match only. For New Zealand, defeat in Wellington ends the series.
What is at stake in Wellington
- India lead the five match series 2-0, and a win on Tuesday seals it with two matches remaining.
- Kishan has now missed two matches in a row with a right adductor strain picked up in the series opener.
- Kumar Kushagra remains with the squad as wicketkeeping cover for the third T20I.
- New Zealand will be without Ferguson and Henry in Wellington, with Jamieson joining the squad.
Kishan’s absence is still a blow: he has been one of the stories of India’s T20 year. But with different players stepping up in Christchurch, India can win without him in the short term, and patience now may buy a fully fit Kishan later in the tour.
FAQs
Why is Ishan Kishan missing the third T20I?
He has a right adductor strain picked up in the series opener and, according to the BCCI, has not yet regained match fitness. He has been ruled out as a precaution.
When and where is the third T20I?
The third T20I will be played in Wellington on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Did Kishan also miss the second T20I?
Yes. He missed the second T20I in Christchurch as well, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi coming into the XI at No. 3.
What is the series score?
India lead the five match series 2-0 after two four wicket wins in Christchurch. A win in Wellington seals the series for India.
India head to Wellington with the series in their hands. That is a good place to be, even with Kishan watching from the sidelines one more time.
