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India captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that Ishan Kishan will bat at No.3 in the IND vs NZ 1st T20I in Nagpur. With Tilak Varma out injured, Yadav will turn to Kishan who is a like for like replacement. Shreyas was drafted in as Varma's replacement but will warm the bench with Kishan's inclusion decided with eyes on the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 next month.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that Ishan Kishan will bat at No.3 in the IND vs NZ 1st T20I in Nagpur. Kishan earned a recall to the Indian team after leading Jharkhand to the SMAT T20 title. The left-hander made the cut ahead of Shreyas Iyer, who was added to the squad later.

"Ishan will bat at number 3 because he is a part of our T20 World Cup team and he was picked in the squad first so it's our responsibility to give him a chance. He hasn't played for India for past one and half year and in the mean time consistently performed in domestic cricket," the Indian skipper said in the pre-match press conference.

Ishan Kishan offers a like for like replacement for Tilak Varma, who injury has created a gap in the Indian playing XI. Kishan last played for India in 2023, but now has a chance to make an impression in India's final series before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Kishan is part of the squad while Shreyas Iyer is not, which swayed the decision in the left-hander's favour.

"Since he (Ishan) has been picked for World T20, he deserves to play ahead (of Shreyas). Had it been a question of batting slots Nos 4 or 5, it would have been a different question altogether. Unfortunately, Tilak isn't there so Ishan is our best bet," Suryakumar added.

Kishan top scored for Jharkhand in the SMAT T20. The left-hander's versatility makes him a valuable asset, with his ability to bat across positions. Ishan bats at No.3 for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and has even batted at No.4 previously with Mumbai Indians.