SportsPosted at: Oct 23 2026 8:57PM


Sooryavanshi likely to step in for Kishan as India look to go 2-0 up against New Zealand

New Delhi, Oct 23 (UNI) Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in line to replace injured Ishan Kishan in India’s playing XI for the second T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday, as the visitors look to build on their series-opening win and address concerns over their bowling attack.
The 15-year-old is expected to open alongside Abhishek Sharma, with Sanju Samson likely to move to No. 3 and Tilak Varma returning to his preferred No. 5 position. Kishan sustained a groin strain during Thursday’s series opener and is unlikely to feature in the second match.
“Ishan Kishan has a niggle in his groin,” India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said at a press conference on Thursday night. "I know there was speculation [about the change in the batting order] but it wasn't a change as such. It was because of the groin strain [to Kishan]. I think he is unlikely for one game.”
“If Ishan can't play - unless he recovers completely, the medical team will tell [us] - then obviously Vaibhav comes into the calculations as a batter," Kotak said. "[He is] definitely one of the strongest persons who can play.”
India won the first T20I by four wickets after chasing down New Zealand’s 225/4 with two balls to spare, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Their batting firepower came to the rescue, but the performance also exposed shortcomings in the bowling department.
With Hardik Pandya unavailable, India are still searching for reliable fifth and sixth bowling options. Nitish Kumar Reddy went wicketless and conceded 40 runs in four overs in the opener, while off-spinning all-rounder Naman Dhir did not bowl despite making a match-winning contribution with the bat.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, playing his first match for India in nearly four years, conceded 49 runs in four overs, including two no-balls and two wides. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert took advantage of the powerplay, putting pressure on Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep Singh. Axar Patel, meanwhile, was India's most expensive bowler.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak acknowledged that the bowlers could have been more disciplined with their lengths.
“...we bowled a little ahead compared to the hard lengths we should have been hitting,” Iyer said after four-wicket victory, in which his 42 off 28 balls helped keep chase on track.
New Zealand will also be looking to tighten their bowling after failing to defend a total of 225. Samson and Abhishek gave India a flying start, adding 93 runs in just 35 balls and taking the score to 94/1 at the end of the powerplay.
Matt Henry and Adam Milne found some swing but could not consistently trouble the Indian batters with probing lengths. Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell claimed two wickets each, with the left-handers coming under pressure against the off-spinners.
New Zealand captain Santner felt his side had opportunities to make the chase more difficult but needed to execute their plans better.
“So I think both teams could probably look at a few things here and there, which I think could have gone either way. The extras at the start maybe and obviously I think in the field we were pretty good," said Santner.
"It's not an easy ground to catch here. A couple of more chances, closing overs at times, but, I think the powerplay is always going to be a challenge. I guess we have to find a way to slow them down (Samson and Abhishek)," he added.
Squads:
India: Shreyas Iyer (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith.
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Tags: #Sooryavanshi likely to step in for Kishan as India look to go 2-0 up against New Zealand
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