India captain Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed that Ishan Kishan will return to the national side for the first T20I against New Zealand on January 21 in Nagpur, taking the No.3 spot in the batting order. Kishan last played a T20I for India on November 28, 2023, against Australia, and has earned his recall through consistent domestic performances.
Kishan recently led Jharkhand to their first-ever SMAT title, scoring 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate over 197. He starred in the final with a 101-run knock off 49 balls against Haryana, earning Player of the Match honors.
His form continued in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, including a 33-ball century against Karnataka. With Tilak Varma unavailable for the first three T20Is, Kishan has been selected ahead of Shubman Gill as India prepares for the T20 World Cup 2026.
