Indian cricket team wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the third T20 match to be held against New Zealand due to injury. Kishan has not fully recovered after suffering a leg muscle injury in the first match of the series held in Christchurch. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has confirmed that although he is progressing towards fitness, he is currently not fully fit to play the match.
However, despite being injured, Kishan has maintained his position as the highest run-scorer for India in T20 International cricket in the current year. This year, he has scored a total of 1,159 runs in 35 matches with an average of 36.21 and a strike rate of 171.44, which includes one century and 7 half-centuries. Kishan needs just 6 more runs to break Suryakumar Yadav’s record for the most runs for India in a calendar year (1,164 runs).
Meanwhile, the BCCI has included Jharkhand’s emerging batter Kumar Kushagra in the squad as a replacement for Ishan Kishan for the third match. Kushagra has got this opportunity after consistent performance in domestic cricket. On the other hand, like the second T20 match, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is likely to bat at number 3 in this match as well.