Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan suffered a lower-back injury during India’s practice session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, creating an immediate selection dilemma ahead of the first T20I against Afghanistan.
The left-hander sustained the sprain while ducking a short delivery from fast bowler Navdeep Saini in the Delhi nets. Kishan received on-field treatment from physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain before walking off unassisted.
Saini dismissed concerns over the batter’s availability for Sunday’s series opener.
“Me and Ishan have played together for quite a while. We know each other very well,” Saini told Cricketaddictor. “I know his weaknesses, so I thought of exploiting it with a short ball. He couldn’t play it. I walked up to him later and asked him how he is doing. He said he is doing fine, so there is nothing to worry about.”
Top Order Contingency Plans
If medical staff rule Kishan out, the decision immediately alters the host’s tactical setup. Sanju Samson and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi batted together in an adjacent net and present direct alternatives for the opening combination.
Abhishek Sharma also remains in contention following his productive 242-run campaign in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League.
Kishan entered the camp in dominant form, where he led East Zone to the title in the Duleep Trophy. The wicketkeeper-batter unleashed an aggressive onslaught during the domestic showpiece, amassing 270 in the first innings.
Medical staff will monitor Kishan’s recovery over the next 24 hours before finalising the team sheet for Sunday’s fixture.
