Ishan Kishan was absent from India's playing XI for the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that Kishan was ruled out due to a minor injury.
Yadav explained at the toss that Kishan "picked up a niggle in the last game". The team management decided not to risk him, especially with the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon. Arshdeep Singh was included in the XI in his place, leading to a reshuffle in the team's combination.
Kishan's absence is a significant one for India. He has been in great form, demonstrated by his impressive 76 runs from 32 balls in the second T20I and 28 runs off 13 deliveries in the third. Throughout the series, Kishan has scored 113 runs in 3 games with a striking rate of 224. He has hit 22 boundaries, while only facing 50 deliveries.
Yadav also addressed the need for the batters to take more responsibility while maintaining an aggressive mindset. He expressed confidence in the bowling resources available. Yadav said, "Arshdeep comes in for Ishan Kishan, who picked up a niggle in the last game. Axar Patel still needs a bit more time, so hopefully, we'll see him in the next game...The batters will need to take a bit more responsibility, but at the same time not shy away from playing with fearless intent. We've got five good bowling options today, so we'll see how it goes".
With Kishan sidelined, Sanju Samson is likely to take over the wicketkeeping duties and continue opening the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma. This presents Samson with a crucial opportunity to regain his form after a series of low scores.
India, having already secured the series with a 3-0 lead, is using the remaining matches to fine-tune their squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. The inclusion of Arshdeep alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana indicates India's focus on solidifying their death-bowling combinations. New Zealand made one change to their lineup, with Kyle Jamieson replacing Zak Foulkes. India won the toss and elected to bowl first.
