India receive key update on batter's fitness ahead of T20WC
Tilak Varma is nearing full fitness but will remain sidelined from the remainder of the T20I series against New Zealand.
The BCCI have confirmed that India batter Tilak Varma is making steady progress with his rehabilitation and is set to miss the final two T20Is against New Zealand with Shreyas Iyer retained as replacement.
The 23-year-old is on track with his recovery and is likely to join the Indian squad in Mumbai on February 3 ahead of India’s warm-up match for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has confirmed that Iyer will remain part of the squad as Tilak’s replacement for the remainder of the series.
Earlier, the left-handed batter was ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand owing to an abdominal issue.
India’s updated T20I squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi
ALL SQUADS NAMED FOR MEN'S T20 WORLD CUP 2026
India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series with a rampant win in Guwahati that saw Abhishek Sharma record the second-fastest fifty by an Indian in T20I history. Suryakumar Yadav-led side haven’t lost a T20I series since winning the 2024 edition of the T20 World Cup and would go into the 2026 edition in fine form.