Kushagra Joins India Squad as Ishan Misses Second T20I

Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of India's second T20 International against New Zealand due to a mild injury, and Kumar Kushagra has been added to the squad as his cover. The Board of Control for Cricket in India made the announcement on Friday.

Kishan has a minor injury to the right adductor, a muscle near the groin area. The BCCI medical team is keeping a close eye on his condition and will assess his progress before any decision on his return.

Kushagra, currently playing with the India A team in Christchurch, will travel to join the main Indian squad for the second T20I. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia shared the details in an official release.

Kishan picked up the injury in the first T20 International, which India won by four wickets. The team showed a strong performance in that match, and the injury became a concern for the team management.

The BCCI said Kishan had been ruled out after sustaining the mild injury during the opening game of the series, and that the medical staff was monitoring the situation closely.

In the first T20I, Kishan came in to bat at number five while Tilak Varma batted at number three. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak explained that the order was changed because of Kishan's injury to the upper thigh.

Kotak said that if Kishan does not recover fully, a decision the medical team will make, then Vaibhav Suryavanshi could definitely get a chance. He described Suryavanshi as one of the strongest contenders for a spot.

The absence of Kishan opens a possible opportunity for the young batter to feature in the playing XI. India's squad for the second T20I comprises Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Tilak Varma (vice-captain), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav and Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper).