Ishan Kishan ruled out; Arshdeep returns as India set to bowl in 4th T20I

Ishan Kishan ruled out of 4th T20I [Source: AFP Photo]

India have wrapped up the T20I series against New Zealand by winning the first three games, and now, the caravan shifts towards the 4th game of the series in Visakhapatnam. The hosts have been outstanding in the first three T20Is as they have completely outplayed the visitors with their skillsets.

Each match has witnessed a new hero for India as the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav have performed exceedingly well, while the bowlers have done their job to perfection. The fourth T20I provides India a chance to test their bench strengths and tinker with their playing combinations.

Ahead of the T20I contest, we take a look at what transpired at the toss and the probable team changes made.

IND Vs NZ toss update: India set to bowl

India won the toss and Suryakumar Yadav had no hesitation in electing to bowl first, as dew might come in the second innings and chasing will become easier for the Indian side. The team has won two matches while chasing in the series, and Surya wants to continue the trend.

Ahead of the game, India has suffered a major jolt as Ishan Kishan was ruled out due to an injury, and in his place, Arshdeep Singh comes in as India's batting strength has reduced for the clash.

BCCI

@BCCI

🚨 Toss and Team Update 🚨 #TeamIndia elect to field in the 4th T20I. Arshdeep Singh comes in for Ishan Kishan, who misses out due to a niggle. Updates ▶️

Jan 28, 2026, 6:36 PM

According to Suryakumar Yadav, Kishan suffered a niggle during the 3rd T20I, and the management doesn’t want to take any risk with him, especially with the T20 World Cup just around the corner.

IND Vs NZ: Playing XIs

India Playing XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

New Zealand Playing XI: Tim Seifert, Devon Conway (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

What the captains said during toss

Suryakumar Yadav: "We look to bowl first. It's a good wicket. Very much dew last night and it is very humid today as well. The ball will come on the bat nicely.

We want to repeat the good things from the last year. Learn what we have done in the last game and entertain the crowd here. Just one change. Arshdeep Singh comes in for Ishan Kishan, he picked up a niggle last game. Axar Patel still needs time to recover. We have good 5 bowling options today, the batters will have to take the responsibility.

Mitch Santner: "Yeah, it looks like a very good wicket again. The dew has already set in. So, it might be a bit harder later on.

I guess the runs are evolving in this series. We know the quality of this Indian team. We have seen it obviously in the first three games. We need to be a bit sharp with the ball. It looks a good wicket so we need to setup a pretty good score on the board tonight.