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Ishan Kishan won't play IND vs NZ 4th T20I [Source: @ImTanujSingh/X]
In a significant development, India won the toss and elected to bowl first in the fourth T20I against New Zealand at Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. Captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that swashbuckling batter Ishan Kishan wouldn't feature in this match, with Arshdeep Singh replacing him in the Indian playing XI.
Ishan Kishan, who received a T20I recall following his dream Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, hammered a match-winning knock in the second T20I. However, the Jharkhand cricketer will miss the fourth T20I, as India have roped in Arshdeep Singh as his replacement.
Why Ishan Kishan is not playing today
Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav revealed that Ishan Kishan has picked up a niggle and hence won't feature in the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam.
"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," Suryakumar Yadav was quoted as saying by CREX.
Hailed for his scintillating stroke play, Ishan had a torrid start to the home series against New Zealand, getting dismissed for eight runs in the first match. However, he bounced back remarkably in Raipur, slamming a belligerent 32-ball 76 and helping India chase a mammoth 209-run target inside 16 overs.
In fact, with Sanju Samson not living up to the expectations and Tilak Varma recovering from a testicular surgery, Ishan Kishan solidified his case for a place in the Indian top order. So, his absence creates a huge void in the Indian batting lineup, demanding additional responsibility for the in-form duo of Suryakumar Yadav and Abhishek Sharma to spearhead the innings.
What will be India's batting order in 4th T20I vs New Zealand?
As Ishan Kishan misses out, captain Suryakumar Yadav is expected to enter the middle at number three during India's run-chase in the second innings. Meanwhile, the entry points of Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh will be decided by the match situation. Dube can be utilised as a spin-hitter, while India might preserve Pandya and Rinku for the finisher's role, provided the game goes down to the wire.
Apart from offering India with a genuine wicket-taking option, Harshit Rana adds depth to the Indian batting unit as a number seven batter in Ishan Kishan's unavailability. In two T20I innings, Rana has amassed 48 runs at a strike rate of 117.1.
Meanwhile, Arshdeep, who comes in for Ishan, strengthens the pace bowling department with Rana and Jasprit Bumrah. The wily duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi will lead India's spin bowling unit in the penultimate T20I in Visakhapatnam.
India's playing XI for 4th T20I vs New Zealand
Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh
