3 min readMumbaiJan 8, 2026 07:48 AM IST
First published on: Jan 8, 2026 at 07:48 AM IST
Asia Cup final hero and middle-order batsman Tilak Varma suffered an abdomen injury, which could rule him out of the T20I series against New Zealand. Even though India would look to draft a replacement for the series that kicks off on January 21 in Nagpur, it is unlikely that Shubman Gill, India’s Test and ODI captain, would be considered.
Tilak was in Rajkot playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy, when he felt a pain in the abdomen after breakfast on Wednesday morning. The Indian Express understands that he consulted with doctors at the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. “Tilak faced severe pain in his abdomen today (Wednesday). He was rushed to a hospital in Rajkot, where various scans were done, and reports were sent to doctors at the COE,” a source in the Indian board confirmed.
“Doctors have advised him to undergo surgery, which will take three to four week for him to recover. Chances of playing the entire T20I against New Zealand looks bleak,” he added. India would be more worried about his availability for the T20 World Cup that begins on February 7. India’s opening game, against the USA, is scheduled the same day.
Who the board picks as his replacement would be interesting. Gill, snubbed for the series against Kiwis and World Cup, is an unlikely prospect. It is learned that the selection committee and team management would not be keen on recalling him. The contention is that it would be odd to make him, India’s captain in Tests and ODIs, warm the bench or ferry the drinks. Moreover, it would be awkward to drop him if Tilak makes a speedy recovery and returns to the side towards the later stages of the series. A likelier candidate could be Assam’s Riyan Parag, if he fully recovers from a shoulder injury.
Shreyas declared match fit
India’s ODI vice-captain and middle order bulwark Shreyas Iyer has been declared match fit by the Centre of Excellence (COE), Bengaluru, medical team. Shreyas played for Mumbai against Himachal Pradesh in a league game of Vijay Hazare Trophy in Jaipur, where he scored 82 off 53 balls. He batted without any visible discomfort from the spleen laceration he suffered during the Australia tour. Afterwards, he underwent a minor procedure too,
The Mumbai batsman was picked for the Indian ODI side, even though the senior national selection committee noted that his availability was subject to fitness clearance from COE. He has cleared the hurdle and will feature in his first ODI since the one against Australia at the SCG in August. His Mumbai and national teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal would skip his team’s last league game in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to join the Indian team in Vadodara.
Hardik to play last league game
Hardik Pandya, though, will feature in Baroda’s final league encounter against Chandigarh on Thursday. The all-rounder, who smoked a sensational 133 against Vidarbha, was not ignored for the New Zealand series to manage his workload and keep him fresh for the World Cup. Besides, the COE had not cleared him to bowl 10 overs in a match.
An abdomen injury has ruled Tilak Varma out of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand before the World Cup next month. (CREIMAS) 
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