3 players who could replace Tilak Varma in the Indian squad for IND vs NZ T20I series

Tilak Varma is likely to be ruled out of the upcoming IND vs NZ T20I series after undergoing an emergency surgery

Team India have been dealt by a heavy blow as Tilak Varma, as per various media reports, is likely to be ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand with an injury. He might also miss the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in February-March as the southpaw might be sidelined for the next three to four weeks.

As per reports in The Times of India, Tilak Varma picked up an abdominal injury while playing for Hyderabad in the ongoing Vijay Hazare trophy in Rajkot. He felt acute testicular pain on Wednesday and was admitted to the Gokul hospital on an immediate basis.

After scans, he was diagnosed with testicular torsion and was advised an immediate surgery. The surgery was done successfully and the Indian batter is out of danger now.

However, the surgery means that the southpaw will take a few weeks to recover and will miss the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting from January 21. Before the T20I series, both teams will play a three-match ODI series, starting from January 11.

India’s Asia Cup 2025 final hero was named in the original squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 and also the T20I series against the Kiwis. However, his unfortunate injury has now opened up a chance for a few players to return to the Indian T20I squad. In this article, we will be looking at three players who can replace Tilak Varma in the Indian T20I squad for the series against NZ.

3 players who could replace Tilak Varma in IND vs NZ T20I series

1. Shreyas Iyer

The first option that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has is recalling Shreyas Iyer back into the Indian T20I squad. He will be a good replacement for the southpaw and deserves to be a part of the Indian T20 World Cup squad as well. Iyer is already the vice-captain of the Indian ODI squad for the series against New Zealand and the time is right for his T20I comeback as well.

He plays spin well and since the T20 World Cup will be played at home, Iyer, with his aggressive style of play in the middle-overs, can be the ideal replacement for Tilak. The right-hander played his last T20I against Australia back in December 2023.

2. Shubman Gill

Tilak Varma’s injury has opened up an outside chance for Shubman Gill’s T20I comeback as well. Gill last played in the format in the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa. After a string of low scores, Gill finally lost his place in the XI to Sanju Samson in the fifth T20I against the Proteas.

Meanwhile, reports said that Gill’s T20I comeback is very much unlikely since he is not a part of India’s T20I squad, but with him being familiar with the T20I setup, there are chances that BCCI might look for a player who is used to system rather than adding a player, who hasn’t featured in T20Is for a while. The Indian Test and ODI skipper scored 291 runs in 15 matches in 2025 without scoring a single fifty-plus. His average was below 25 last year and the strike rate was also below 140.

3. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Jaiswal is the third player in this list who can be considered for a comeback in the T20I format. He recently scored a century in the third ODI against South Africa in Vizag. His unbeaten 116 helped India chase down a target of 272 runs and they won by nine wickets. Jaiswal was at his aggressive best in the match, showing good signs for his recall back into the T20I side.

With the southpaw in good form, he can surely make a comeback into the Indian T20I squad and bolster the batting lineup even more. Jaiswal was the backup opener for the T20 World Cup 2024. He can play a similar role in this World Cup as well for Team India. He already has a T20I century to his name and played his last T20I for India in July 2024.

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