Ishan Kishan suffers back injury scare ahead of India T20I vs Afghanistan

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan suffered a back injury scare during a net session in Delhi on September 11, 2026, casting doubt on his participation in the first T20I against Afghanistan scheduled for September 13. The incident occurred at the Arun Jaitley Stadium when Kishan attempted to duck a short delivery from net bowler Navdeep Saini. He was attended to by team physio Kamlesh Jain and did not return to bat in the session. Kishan was seen holding his lower back and left the nets shortly after the incident. His fitness is now under observation, with a medical assessment expected to provide clarity within 24 hours. No official team or BCCI statement has been issued regarding his availability for the series opener. The injury scare comes just days after Kishan led East Zone to victory in the 2026 Duleep Trophy final, where he scored 270 runs in the first innings and 80 in the second. He has been in strong form, having scored 812 runs from 23 T20Is in 2026, making him the second-highest run-scorer in the format for the calendar year. Saini, who was bowling as a net bowler, reportedly stated there was nothing serious with Kishan and that the batter was fine.