IND vs NZ: Why did Shreyas Iyer miss fourth T20I in Vizag?
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Shreyas Iyer retained his place in the Indian squad for the last two IND vs NZ T20Is as a replacement of injured Tilak Varma.
India and New Zealand crossing swords with each other in the fourth match of the five-match T20I series, which is underway at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, January 28. The hosts have already sealed the series after their three dominant performances in the first three matches.
India, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, are 3-0 up in the series, and the last two IND vs NZ games offer them a great opportunity to tick all the remaining boxes before heading into T20 World Cup 2026. In the first game, the hosts registered a 48-run to start the series on a high. Batting first, after losing the toss, the hosts piled up a massive total of 238 runs, and then restricted the opposition to 190 to win the clash by big margin.
Then in the second T20I, they had below-par bowling performance, giving away 208 runs. But, their batting was nothing short of exceptional. Ishan Kishan (76) and Suryakumar Yadav (82*) struck brutal half-centuries, registering fastest 200+ chase in T20Is.
In the third game, New Zealand struggled to score big and managed just 153 runs. But, it was expected that they would test the Indian batters, which wasn’t the case. Abhishek Sharma (68*) and Suryakumar Yadav struck brutal fifties that saw the hosts chasing the target in just 10 overs.
They would be hoping to carry on the same form and win the fourth game. With the T20 World Cup 2026 around the corner, it offers a critical window to test combinations, evaluate form, restore confidence after recent setbacks, and lock in strategies, particularly in batting depth and middle-order stability.
IND vs NZ: Why did Shreyas Iyer miss fourth T20I in Vizag?
Shreyas Iyer, who last played for India in T20Is in December 2023, was added to the India side as replacement of Tilak Varma in the first three T20Is. But, with Varma unable to recover in time, Iyer was retained in the squad for last two T20Is as well. However, his name was yet again missing from the XI.
It was expected that Iyer would play at least one game in the series, but ahead of the series, it was confirmed that team management will prefer Ishan Kishan, who is part of India’s T20 World Cup squad. The keeper-batter, who made a comeback to side in first T20I after 785 days, played a stellar innings in second IND vs NZ T20I, hitting 76 and then followed it up with quick-fire 28 in third game.
With Kishan not playing fourth T20I, It was almost certain that Iyer would play the game, but India went other way and instead played a batter less. Iyer missing despite strong ODI form and vice-captaincy experience highlighted the management’s focus on World Cup preparations. Iyer, included only as cover for Tilak’s absence, was not deemed essential at No. 3.
IND vs NZ: India XI for fourth T20I in Vizag
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah
Why did Shreyas Iyer miss the fourth T20I against New Zealand?
Shreyas Iyer was included only as a temporary replacement for Tilak Varma and was not preferred at No. 3, as India opted to play a World Cup squad member instead.
Why is Ishan Kishan batting at No. 3 for India IND vs NZ T20Is?
Ishan Kishan is part of India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad and earned selection through strong domestic performances, making him the preferred option in Tilak Varma’s absence.
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Ankitjit Singh is a dedicated sports journalist whose childhood dream was to play cricket—now, he serves the game through his work. With over three years of experience in reporting, writing, and editing, he brings deep insight to his coverage. A journalism graduate from Delhi University, Ankitjit’s passion for cricket took root during his college days and continues to drive his career.