1st T20I: Not Iyer! India captain reveals Tilak’s replacement in playing XI

India captain Suryakumar Yadav said Ishan Kishan will bat at No. 3 ahead of Shreyas Iyer in the New Zealand T20 series as he is part of India’s T20 World Cup squad and a like-for-like replacement for injured Tilak Varma. Iyer will be considered at No. 5. Suryakumar stressed flexibility in batting roles and prioritised team success over individual form.