Shreyas Iyer has been drafted into the squad for the T20I series against New Zealand, in place of the injured Tilak Varma.
The squads for the five-match series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup 2026 were announced a few days ago, and everything looked well set. However, injuries to Tilak Varma and Washington Sundar have forced replacements for the series against the Kiwis, one of them being Shreyas Iyer.
The Punjab Kings (PBKS) has made his way back onto the field after a major injury in the third ODI against Australia last year. Shreyas Iyer has been recalled to the Indian squad for the T20I series against New Zealand as a replacement for Tilak Varma.
Though this is extremely positive news for the team and for the fans, the 31-year-old might not find a place in the XI despite the absence of Tilak Varma in the middle-order. Shreyas Iyer has been a prolific performer in the shortest format, especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but this has got a lot more to do than just performance.
India have drafted Ishan Kishan into the T20 World Cup 2026 squad on the back of his sumptuous performances in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). That being said, the Men in Blue will be more inclined towards providing the Jharkhand skipper with opportunities.
ALSO READ:
The Indian ODI No.4 has been named as a replacement for the T20I series against the Kiwis for the Mumbai Indians (MI) youngster, who has been injured. However, whether he will be included in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad is a question for later.
That being said, Shreyas Iyer is unlikely to feature in the playing XI for the first three matches of the series. The management have selected Ishan Kishan as the second wicketkeeper option for the mega-event ahead of Jitesh Sharma, so they would like to give him game time.
To add to that, Ishan Kishan has been playing at No.3 for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL as well, and understands the nuances of the game. Though Shreyas Iyer has a more refined strike-rate in T20Is than Kishan, the latter is coming from a successful season in the SMAT 2025.
Ishan Kishan would also provide the left-handedness which the Men in Blue like to have, in order to maintain a flexible batting order. With Tilak Varma absent, Kishan will play around the No.3 or No.4 role alongside Suryakumar Yadav in the middle-order.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
