IND vs NZ: Who will bat at three for India in New Zealand T20Is after Tilak Varma’s injury?
(Courtesy : BCCI)
Tilak Varma sustained an abdominal injury and has been ruled out of first three T20Is of the IND vs NZ series.
Indian Cricket Team faced a big blow ahead of New Zealand’s tour of India 2026 as batter Tilak Varma was ruled out of the first three T20Is of the series. This came after the left-handed batsman had to undergo a emergency surgery in Rajkot, where he was with his state team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26.
The 23-year-old complained of acute testicular pain on Wednesday and was immediately rushed to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with testicular torsion. He underwent surgery, which went well and is now expected to be out of action for 3-4 weeks.
Notably, Varma scored a match-winning half-century for India in the Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai last year. He is expected to be fit ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2026, but will miss the upcoming three T20Is against the BlackCaps.
Ishan Kishan likely to replace Tilak Varma at number three in New Zealand T20Is
So far, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not named any replacement for Varma. India will need a strong number three batter in the absence of Varma. In the current squad, Ishan Kishan is highly likely to take the one-down slot in the playing XI.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are expected to take the opening slot as Shubman Gill was dropped from the side. Kishan has made his comeback to the national team after his brilliant performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025.
He led his team Jharkhand to the title with a victory against Haryana in the final. The left-handed batter usually plays as an opener but has also batted at number three in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and India in the past.
Meanwhile, the ODI series between India and New Zealand will commence on January 11. The five-match T20I series will start on January 21 with the opening game in Nagpur.
Both sides will clash in five-matches, with the last match taking place on January 31 in Thiruvannathapuram. The series will act as a preparation for both sides ahead of ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Why was Tilak Varma ruled out of first three T20Is against New Zealand?
Tilak Varma was ruled out of first three T20Is against New Zealand due to an injury.
How many T20I games will be played between India and New Zealand?
Five T20I games will be played between India and New Zealand.
Who will captain India in the T20I series against New Zealand?
Suryakumar Yadav will captain India in the T20I series against New Zealand.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.