IND vs NZ: Tilak Varma ruled out of first three T20Is, no replacement named
Tilak Varma will miss the matches scheduled for January 21, 23 and 25 after undergoing surgery for testicular torsion in Rajkot on Wednesday, confirms BCCI
 "IND vs NZ: Tilak Varma ruled out of first three T20Is, no replacement named")
India batter Tilak Varma has been ruled out of the first three T20 internationals against New Zealand following a medical procedure, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Thursday.
The left-handed batter will miss the matches scheduled for January 21, 23 and 25 after undergoing surgery for testicular torsion in Rajkot on Wednesday, January 7. The BCCI said Tilak was discharged from the hospital on Thursday morning and is set to return to Hyderabad on Friday.
In a brief statement, the board said the 22-year-old is stable and progressing well in his recovery. “Tilak Varma has been discharged from the hospital and will travel back to Hyderabad. He is currently stable and recovering satisfactorily,” the BCCI said.
The board added that Tilak will resume training and skill-based activities only after his symptoms have fully resolved and wound healing is deemed satisfactory. His availability for the remaining two T20Is — scheduled for January 28 in Visakhapatnam and January 31 in Thiruvananthapuram — will be assessed based on his recovery in the interim.
The BCCI has not named a replacement for Tilak for the opening three matches of the five-game series. It remains unclear whether the team management will seek an additional batter if his recovery timeline extends beyond expectations.
Tilak has emerged as a key middle-order option in India’s T20 set-up over the past year, offering flexibility with his left-handed batting and ability to play spin effectively. His absence could prompt the team management to reshuffle the batting order or hand opportunities to other squad members during the early part of the series. In this situation, Ishan Kishan is expected to bat in the middle order or at number 3 batting position. In the IPL 2025, he batted at number 3 as Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head were the two openers in Sunrisers Hyderabad's XI.
India and New Zealand are set to begin the T20I series later this month, with the matches forming part of India’s final preparations for ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The selectors and team management are expected to closely monitor Tilak’s rehabilitation before taking a call on his participation in the final two games.
| India vs New Zealand T20 International full schedule and match timings | |||
| Match details | Date and Day | Match start time | Venue |
| 1st T20 | Jan 21 (Wednesday) | 7 PM IST | Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur |
| 2nd T20 | Jan 23 (Friday) | 7 PM IST | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur |
| 3rd T20 | Jan 25 (Sunday) | 7 PM IST | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati |
| 4th T20 | Jan 28 (Wednesday) | 7 PM IST | ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam |
| 5th T20 | Jan 31 (Saturday) | 7 PM IST | Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram |
The BCCI said further updates on the batter’s fitness and availability will be shared as his recovery progresses.
India’s squad for T20I series against NZ announced & ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (WK)