The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has drafted young wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra into the national squad for the second T20I against New Zealand. The call-up comes after primary wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan sustained an injury, ruling him out of the upcoming fixture. Injury Update & Replacement Details According to an official media release by the BCCI, Ishan Kishan suffered a minor strain in his right thigh muscle during the series opener. As a precautionary measure, the medical team advised rest for the second encounter while continuing to monitor his recovery. Kushagra, who is already in Christchurch as part of the India ‘A’ tour, was drafted directly into the senior squad as wicketkeeping cover specifically for the second match. 🚨 News 🚨Ishan Kishan ruled out of 2️⃣nd T20I due to injury; Kumar Kushagra added as cover.More details 🔽 | #TeamIndia | #NZvIND https://t.co/TsATbCM8mB— BCCI (@BCCI) October 23, 2026 Match Context: 2nd T20I at Christchurch Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch Date & Time: Saturday, 24 October | 12:30 PM IST Pitch & Conditions: The opening match at the same ground turned into an offensive shootout featuring over 450 aggregate runs. With another batting-friendly track anticipated, winning the toss will likely be crucial for chasing under lights. Updated Indian Squad for the 2nd T20I RolePlayersCaptain & BattersShreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav SuryavanshiWicketkeepersSanju Samson, Kumar KushagraAll-RoundersAxar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman DhirBowlersPrince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav Post navigation Amitabh Bachchan Pays Emotional Video Tribute to Late Actor Nana Patekar
