Will Ishan Kishan Be Selected for the NZ T20I Series?

The Indian Cricket Team is gearing up for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka. The tournament will run from February 7 to March 8 and will see around 20 teams taking part, which will happen only for the second time in the tournament’s history. After the ongoing T20Is against South Africa, India will be up against New Zealand in the T20I series. It will be last for the Suryakumar Yadav-led side ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, and they would be keen to fix all the things in that before heading into the event.

Will Ishan Kishan Be Picked in IND Squad for NZ series?

The India squad for the New Zealand series is likely to be the same as that for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be meeting on Saturday, where they will announce the squad for the series as well as the tournament. Before the squad selection, one of the common questions that is in the news is about Ishan Kishan Comeback. This comes after the keeper-batter came up with sensational performances for Jharkhand while leading the team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025.

Ishan Kishan brought his A game in the tournament. He produced a banger of a tournament and surely would have grabbed the eyeballs of selectors with his performance as he ended as the leading run-getter in the SMAT 2025. Ishan Kishan hit 517 runs in 10 innings, finishing as the leading run-scorer, and brought his best in the final. In the summit clash against Haryana, he played a 101-run knock off 49 balls, helping Jharkhand post a formidable 262/3 and eventually win the tournament.

His performances in the SMAT 2025 have raised calls for Ishan Kishan Selection in the Indian side ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. This comes amid the struggles of Shubman Gill in the format. There are chances that Ishan Kishan, one of the best wicketkeeper in India, is picked in the India squad for the NZ T20I series.

Will Ishan Kishan Comeback Be on the Cards?

Ishan Kishan has been performing exceptionally well in domestic cricket. However, his performances might not earn him a place in the Indian squad at least till the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. This is because the Indian squad in T20Is looked settled, and it won’t be an intelligent move to change the team just before the tournament. Also, the reports have claimed that there won’t be any surprise inclusion in the Indian side as the squad is all set to be the same, which is there in the T20Is against South Africa.

Therefore, Kishan will have to wait for his chances. Kishan last played for India in 2023, and then after that was dropped from the side due to his issues with the BCCI. After the T20 World Cup 2026, the IPL will be a great opportunity for him to shine and reclaim his spot in the team.