Major Blow For India As Ishan Kishan Gets Injured Ahead Of IND vs AFG T20Is

Ishan Kishan injured ahead of the India vs Afghanistan first T20I [Source: AFP]Ahead of the important T20I series between India and Afghanistan, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan injured himself in the net session. He immediately cut short his batting practice and returned to the dressing room.Kishan, fresh off the Duleep Trophy 2026 title victory as captain, joined the Indian camp in Delhi to participate in the 3-game T20I series against Afghanistan, which is set to kick off on Sunday, September 13.Ishan Kishan injures his back in net sessionMeanwhile, Team India had organised a practice session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi ahead of the first T20I. The entire squad participated in the nets, including Ishan Kishan.However, while facing pacer Navdeep Saini, Kishan injured himself. He tried to take a swing at Saini’s bouncer but ended up pulling his back. The wicketkeeper-batter experienced discomfort and halted his practice session.According to reports, Ishan Kishan left the nets immediately after consulting with the medical team. He looked in pain and the physios treated him. Thankfulluy, Kishan was fine enough to continue with his net session. For now, Team India has not issued any official statement on Kishan’s injury and whether he will be available to participate in the first T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday. But his resumption in the nets is definitely a positive sign.Also Read - "Stand and Salute": Netizens Bow Down To Captain Ishan Kishan For Duleep Trophy TriumphLosing Ishan Kishan is a huge blow to IndiaInterestingly, Ishan Kishan has been in stellar form recently. In the Duleep Trophy 2026 final, he scored 270 runs as captain, which helped East Zone post a mammoth total of 708 runs.East Zone eventually ended up winning the title with a significant first innings lead despite the match ending in a draw. Not only that, Kishan ended up being the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 409 runs in 5 innings.Hence, India could have benefited largely from his participation in the T20I series against Afghanistan. It's a perfect opportunity to make the most of his red hot form. However, it remains to be seen how serious his back injury truly is.Who can replace Ishan Kishan in the first T20I?Having said that, Team India does have Sanju Samson, if Ishan Kishan fails to gain fitness in time for the first T20I against Afghanistan. In the middle-order, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel can bat as all-rounders. Of course, losing Kishan would hamper the balance of the squad. But in desperate times, India will have to rely on desperate measures. For now, the focus will remain on Ishan Kishan’s back injury. The medical team will try to treat him as soon as possible, with less than 2 days left for the big series to begin.Also Read - Watch- Babar Azam Throws Away Well-Deserved Century In 3rd Test Vs England