BCCI provides big update on Tilak Varma’s return ahead of T20 World Cup, retains Shreyas Iyer for remaining T20Is vs NZ

Shreyas Iyer will remain part of India’s squad for the fourth and fifth T20Is against New Zealand with Tilak Varma failing to regain fitness and getting ruled out of the remainder of the five-match series against the Black Caps.

The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee had picked the same squad for the T20I series against the Black Caps as well as next month’s T20 World Cup, in which the Men in Blue enter as the defending champions.

Iyer and Ravi Bishnoi, however, had been drafted into the side as replacements for Tilak and Washington Sundar ahead of the T20I series. While spin-bowling all-rounder Sundar had suffered a rib injury during the preceding ODI series against New Zealand, Tilak had undergone a testicular torsion surgery in Rajkot.

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Tilak had initially been ruled out for the first three T20Is against Mitchell Santner’s men. The BCCI, however, confirmed on Monday that while the Mumbai Indians star is undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, he will need more time to regain match fitness.

“India batter Tilak Varma has resumed physical training and is making steady progress with his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. However, he will require additional time to regain full match fitness and will not be available for the final two T20Is of the ongoing IDFC First Bank five-match T20I series,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was quoted as saying in a release on Monday.

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The Board, however, added that Tilak will be linking up with the rest of India’s T20 World Cup squad on 3 February ahead of their warm-up game against South Africa, assuming he will be fully fit by then.

“Tilak will link up with the squad in Mumbai once he has regained full match fitness on 3rd February, ahead of India’s warm-up match for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

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“The Men’s Selection Committee has recommended that Shreyas Iyer will continue as Tilak Varma’s replacement for the remaining matches,” Saikia added.

Bishnoi made his first appearance for the Men in Blue in a year during Sunday’s third T20I at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium. The leg-spinner finished with superb figures of 2/18 besides collecting a catch off Hardik Pandya’s bowling as the Suryakumar Yadav-led side restricted the Kiwis to  153/9 after opting to field.

Blazing half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma (68 not out off 20) and Surya (57 not out off 26) along with Ishan Kishan’s 28 off 13 balls later in the evening ensured India cruised to an eight-wicket victory with 10 wickets to spare, gaining an unassailable 3-0 lead. India had earlier win the first two T20Is in Nagpur and Raipur by 48 runs and 7 wickets respectively.

Iyer, who is a key member of India’s ODI setup, is yet to make an appearance in the ongoing series, with the Punjab Kings captain having last represented the Men in Blue in the 20-over format against Australia in late 2023.

It remains to be seen if captain Surya and head coach Gautam Gambhir include him in their plans for the remaining matches of the series before turning their attention to India’s title defence at next month’s World Cup.