Will injured Tilak Varma be fit for T20 World Cup 2026?

Tilak Varma’s return to the Indian squad has been delayed once again, with the young left-hander officially ruled out of the final two T20 Internationals against New Zealand. Still recovering from an abdominal injury, Tilak needs more time to regain full match fitness and will link up with the team only after making a complete recovery. He is now expected to join the Indian camp in Mumbai on February 3, ahead of India’s warm-up match for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

In Tilak’s continued absence, the All India Senior Men’s Selection Committee has decided to persist with Shreyas Iyer as his replacement for the remainder of the T20I series. Tilak had missed the opening three matches as well after sustaining the injury during the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Earlier, the BCCI had confirmed that Tilak underwent surgery in Rajkot on January 7 to address the abdominal issue. He was discharged the following day and was scheduled to return to Hyderabad shortly thereafter. According to the board, his recovery has been steady, and he will resume physical conditioning before gradually moving back to batting drills once his symptoms subside and the surgical wound heals completely.

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Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer is still waiting for an opportunity to feature in the playing XI, with the team management opting to continue with Ishan Kishan at No. 3, a role he currently occupies in India’s T20 World Cup plans.

With Tilak unavailable for the remaining fixtures, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are expected to retain their places in the lineup. Samson has struggled to make an impact so far, managing scores of 10, 6 and 0 in the first three matches. In contrast, Kishan has impressed at No. 3, producing innings of 8, 76 and 28.

As the series progresses, the spotlight is firmly on Samson to deliver. Continued failures could see him lose his spot, with Kishan emerging as a strong contender to open the innings in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.