Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer - (Source: AFP/ACB)On Sunday, September 13, Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi will host the 1st T20I between India and Afghanistan. All eyes are on Ishan Kishan’s availability who skipped the training session on the eve of the series opener.Ishan Kishan joined the team late as he was busy with East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. The southpaw, who is also the No.1 ranked batter in the world, quickly shifted his focus to white-ball cricket but got injured in the nets.Shreyas Iyer Updates On Ishan Kishan’s AvailabilityIn the latest events, India captain Shreyas Iyer spoke to the press, where he dropped a positive update on Ishan Kishan. The PBKS captain remarked that he was fatigued after the Duleep Trophy final, which is why he skipped the training session. “Ishan Kishan is comfortable at the moment. I interacted with him after the practice session; it was just a small niggle. He has been playing red-ball cricket. I think he is a bit fatigued. He got some rest today. I am sure he will be fine for tomorrow,” remarked Shreyas Iyer.Ishan Kishan Back After A Busy And Successful Duleep TrophyIshan Kishan is back after a busy Duleep Trophy season. The southpaw guided the East Zone to their third title and ended a 14-year-long wait. The captain led from the front and slammed a double hundred in the final.The left-handed batter missed out on a triple-hundred and slammed 270 runs in the first innings. He also played a brilliant 80-run knock in the 2nd innings. Overall, Ishan scored 409 runs in 5 innings in the Duleep Trophy 2026 edition.Also Read: Navdeep Saini Shares Massive Update On Ishan Kishan's Injury Ahead Of IND Vs AFG 1st T20IFatigue had hit the 28-year-old in the final itself as he was retired hurt due to cramps. Eventually, Ishan returned to bat, but due to lack of proper rest, the southpaw injured himself again during India’s net session on Friday.Who can replace Ishan Kishan in the first T20I if he fails to recover?Despite Shreyas Iyer’s assurance, there is a concern that Ishan might still miss the 1st T20I to prevent a larger mishap. In such a scenario, Team India can ask Sanju Samson to bat at No.3, who is most likely to be out of the playing XI if the SRH batter gets match-ready.Sanju Samson is returning after a rest from the Zimbabwe tour. Following the T20 World Cup 2026, Samson has been out of touch and has amassed just 33 runs in 4 innings. Other than Samson, India can look to add more all-round depth in the playing XI, which means that Washington Sundar and Axar Patel can both be a part of the playing XI. Nevertheless, India needs Ishan Kishan to be fit because his absence will hurt the Men in Blue a lot. Going by Shreyas Iyer’s words, the southpaw is ready and raring to face Afghanistan on Sunday.Also Read: List Of Titles Won By Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
