India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed Ishan Kishan’s batting position ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar announced that Kishanwill bat at number three, confirming the management’s faith in the southpaw following his return to the national setup after a two-year absence.

The five-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting Wednesday, records a crucial phase in India’s T20 World Cup build-up. Coming off a 1-2 ODI series defeat to the Black Caps, the hosts will be keen to fine-tune their combinations ahead of the marquee event. Notably, Shubman Gill's exclusion from the T20 squad and Tilak Varma's unavailability for the first three matches due to injury have put Kishan in the forefront to bat at the top.

“He deserves to play ahead of Iyer as he’s already part of the World Cup squad,” the India skipper said.

Kishan led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title

The wicketkeeper-batter last played for India in 2023 before falling out following his request for a break from international cricket and subsequent loss of his central contract. Once seen as a regular across white-ball formats, Kishan spent nearly two years away from the national team as selectors prioritised domestic consistency.

His comeback, however, has been driven by performances for Jharkhand. Kishan enjoyed a sensational Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, leading Jharkhand to their maiden title while finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. The Indian team management now views Kishan as an important middle-order option heading into the T20 World Cup. 

Meanwhile, India will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, with Axar Patel serving as vice-captain. The squad also sees the return of Rinku Singh, while Washington Sundar has been ruled out through injury and replaced by Ravi Bishnoi. Jasprit Bumrah will headline the bowling attack alongside Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.

The series will be played across Vidarbha, New Raipur, Barsapara, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram, giving different conditions as India fine-tunes its combinations.