IND vs NZ 2021: [Watch] Ishan Kishan's incredible direct hit sends Mitchell Santner back to the dressing room
Ishan Kishan replaced KL Rahul in the Indian playing XI for the third T20I against New Zealand on Sunday. The rising star impressed fans with his batting and fielding.
The southpaw opened the innings for India along with captain Rohit Sharma and had a 69-run opening stand. Ishan Kishan scored 29 runs off 21 deliveries, smashing six fours.
Kishan can keep the wickets, but the Indian team used Rishabh Pant as their glovesman. Kishan played as a fielder in the second innings and was involved in two run-outs.
Ishan needed Rishabh Pant's help to dismiss Tim Seifert. However, he made a direct hit from deep in the 14th over to send opposition skipper Mitchell Santner back to the pavilion. You can watch the video right here:
Mitchell Santner tapped a delivery from Deepak Chahar towards the leg-side. The Kiwi skipper tried to steal two runs. But a brilliant direct hit from Ishan Kishan resulted in his dismissal while he was running for the second run.
The Indian bowlers wrapped up the match soon, and the Men in Blue completed a clean-sweep against New Zealand.
Ishan Kishan to board a flight to South Africa soon
According to reports, Ishan Kishan and Deepak Chahar will soon take a flight from Kolkata to Mumbai and then fly to South Africa. This is for them to link up with the India 'A' squad for the unofficial Test series against the hosts.
India 'A' will play three four-day matches against South Africa 'A', with the series starting this Tuesday. Kishan and Chahar will miss the first game, but the duo will likely be available for the last two matches.
Ishan Kishan and Deepak Chahar did not play first-class cricket in 2021. Hence, it will be interesting to see how the two Indian stars perform in South Africa.