Ishan Kishan’s participation in the Afghanistan vs. India T20I series is uncertain due to a back injury scare he sustained during a net session in Delhi on Friday, September 11, 2026. When Navdeep Saini bowled a short delivery in the nets, Kishan tried to duck it, which led to the incident. After the incident, the team physiotherapists treated him right away, and he was able to leave the pitch on his own.
While batting against the pacers, Kishan was hit by a short delivery that the left-hander missed from India international Navdeep Saini, who was assisting the team as a net bowler. For a few minutes, he stayed on his haunches as physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain took care of him.
After rest and a thorough medical evaluation, the extent of the injury should be ascertained within 24 hours. His availability for the first Twenty20 International, which is set for Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, has not been officially confirmed. Until that evaluation is completed, Kishan’s involvement in the Afghanistan T20I series as a whole is still unknown.
After leading East Zone to the 2026 Duleep Trophy, Kishan had come to the Indian camp in excellent shape. He demonstrated his form ahead of the series in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final against South Zone, scoring 270 runs in the first innings and 80 in the second.
India will need some time to verify Kishan’s injury status. We may witness a different top-three if he is compelled to miss Sunday’s opening Twenty20 International. There are several alternatives available to India for Kishan’s third position.
Sanju Samson could be positioned at number three and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order, as they did against Zimbabwe. If necessary, Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar can also bat at that spot. However, as Samson is the only other wicketkeeper in the team, India will be forced to start him if he is actually hurt.
