Revealed: Why Ishan Kishan isn't featuring in IND vs NZ 4th T20I despite top form

Ishan Kishan's absence in India's playing XI in the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam left everyone surprised. Star India pacer Arshdeep Singh was brought into Men in Blue's playing XI in place of Ishan Kishan.

Why Ishan Kishan sits out of India's Playing XI in 4th T20I vs NZ?

The absence of Kishan raised eyebrows among fans, especially given his sensational recent form. Since returning to the T20I setup after a two-year hiatus, the wicketkeeper-batsman has been a standout performer, most notably smashing a brutal half-century in the second T20I. However, captain Suryakumar Yadav cleared the air at the toss, explaining that Kishan was forced to sit out after picking up a minor niggle, rather than being dropped for tactical reasons.

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"We’re going to bowl first. It looks like a good wicket, and we’ll get a chance to practise here later. There was a lot of dew last night and today it’s a little humid as well, so we feel that in the second innings the ball will come onto the bat nicely. I think the important thing is to repeat the good habits we’ve built over the past year, not just in this series. We want to keep doing the good things we’ve been doing, learn from the last game, and go out there, enjoy ourselves, play the format the way it’s meant to be played, and entertain the people who’ve come here. It’s a beautiful ground and a lovely crowd here. Hopefully the boys are charged up and we have a good, entertaining night," Suryakumar said at the toss.

Ishan Kishan picked up a niggle in the last game: Suryakumar Yadav

Arshdeep comes in for Ishan Kishan, who picked up a niggle in the last game. Axar Patel still needs a bit more time, so hopefully we’ll see him in the next game. The batters will need to take a bit more responsibility, but at the same time not shy away from playing with fearless intent. We’ve got five good bowling options today, so we’ll see how it goes," he added.

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The inclusion of Arshdeep was the only change made to the side, despite speculation that mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy might feature. Chakravarthy's omission may be a strategic 'cloak and dagger' move to prevent New Zealand from decoding his variations before a potential World Cup clash. Additionally, while Axar Patel remained on the sidelines, the captain provided a positive update, confirming that the all-rounder is expected to be fully fit for selection in the fifth and final match of the series.

India's Playing XI:

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand's Playing XI:

Tim Seifert(w), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

IND vs NZ head to head in T20Is:

India and New Zealand have locked horns with each other 25 times in T20Is so far. India have notched 14 wins while New Zealand have emerged victorious on 10 occasions. Meanwhile, one match between India and New Zealand was tied.