Lockie Ferguson out of India T20Is; Matt Fisher replaces him

New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series against India after scans confirmed a low-grade right-calf tear, with Matt Fisher called in as his replacement. The fourth T20I is at Eden Park, Auckland, on Friday, 30 October (12:30 PM IST), with India 3-0 up in the series.

Matt Henry, who was already due to miss the rest of the T20Is for workload reasons, also has a low-grade right-quadricep tear. He needs one to two weeks of recovery and remains on track for the ODI series.

What the coach said

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said the team is gutted for both bowlers. He said Ferguson had been keen to play at a sold-out Eden Park but is determined to return for the ODIs.

State of the series

In the New Zealand vs India T20I Series 2026, India won the first match on 22 October by 4 wickets, with India on 230/6 (19.4 overs) against New Zealand’s 225/4. They won the second on 24 October by 4 wickets, India 181/6 (19.5 overs) against New Zealand’s 180/5. The third, on 27 October, went to India by 6 wickets: 199/4 (13.2 overs) against New Zealand’s 198/3.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said his side must find a way against India’s batting at Eden Park, where he said the ground is potentially smaller all around. Daryl Mitchell said there is still plenty to play for in the last two matches and that he is looking forward to a pretty much sold-out Eden Park.

India’s Tilak Varma said at the pre-match press conference that he has heard the straight boundaries at Eden Park are on the smaller side, which makes yorkers at the death crucial. He praised Prince Yadav’s yorkers and said India see the final two games as a chance for a clean sweep, taking one match at a time.

About 40,000 spectators are expected for the fourth T20I, which would be the third-largest crowd in the ground’s history and a record for a New Zealand Cricket bilateral series match.