India batter to miss part of New Zealand series before T20WC

The BCCI have confirmed that Tilak Varma has been ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand.

The left-handed batter will miss part of the upcoming series, in the lead-up to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, owing to an abdominal issue.

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Furthermore, his availability for the remaining two matches of the five-match series will be assessed based on his progress during the return-to-training and skill phases.

The BCCI shared in a statement that Varma underwent surgery for an abdominal issue on January 7, and was discharged from hospital on the morning of January 8.

Furthermore, the 23-year-old is recovering well and will resume physical training before gradually resulting to skill-based activities subject to the resolution of his symptoms and satisfactory wound healing.

Tilak Varma is comes on the back of an impressive showing in the T20I series against South Africa, where he scored 187 runs from four innings and finished as the highest run-getter in the series.

Currently ranked no.3 in the ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings, he has been a vital cog in India's middle order and has been named in the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup.

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The co-hosts will be eyeing crucial preparation for the upcoming tournament with a five-match series against New Zealand starting January 21.

India's T20I fixtures against New Zealand:

First T20I: January 21, Nagpur

Second T20I: January 23, Raipur

Third T20I: January 25, Guwahati

Fourth T20I: January 28, Visakhapatnam

Fifth T20I: January 31, Thiruvananthapuram