Injured Ishan Kishan ruled out of second T20I against New Zealand

India batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the second T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch after sustaining a right adductor strain. The injury occurred during India's series-opening victory on Thursday, prompting a rejigged batting order where Kishan moved down to No. 5. India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed that Kishan has a groin strain and is unlikely to feature in the upcoming match on Saturday.

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak identified Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the primary contender to replace Kishan in the starting lineup. India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after successfully chasing 226 runs in the first T20I, winning by four wickets with two balls to spare thanks to contributions from Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, and Naman Dhir.