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India have been dealt a potential setback ahead of the T20I series against New Zealand with Tilak Varma nursing an abdominal injury. The left-handed batter’s availability for the series is now under a cloud, raising concerns within the team management. The issue also casts a shadow over India’s T20 World Cup plans, with Tilak having been named in the squad and featuring regularly in the playing XI over the past year. He has grown into a key middle-order presence, most notably during last year’s Asia Cup, where he played a vital role in the title win, including a composed and match-defining fifty in the final against Pakistan.
According to a report on the Indian Express, Tilak experienced abdominal discomfort while in Rajkot, where he was representing Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. It further suggests that the middle-order batter suggested by the Centre of Excellence (COE) doctors in Bengaluru.
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The medical team has advised the batter to undergo surgery, with an expected recovery period of three to four weeks, making his availability for the entire T20I series against New Zealand highly unlikely. The three- to four-week period also hampers India’s T20 World Cup plans, as they start their campaign on February 7 against the USA.
Tilak’s injury might put India in tricky spot for T20 World Cup
If Tilak opts for surgery, India’s selectors may be forced to revisit their original plans and explore alternatives they had earlier set aside. His absence would open up space in the middle order, prompting discussions around players who were not part of the initial thinking. Established names such as Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer could come back into contention, while Riyan Parag may also find himself back in the mix. With a major tournament approaching, the selection panel is likely to weigh experience against recent form as they look to reshape the squad and ensure adequate cover in case Tilak is ruled out for an extended period.
Tilak has been a consistent presence for India in T20 internationals since his debut in August 2023. In 40 T20Is, he has scored 1,183 runs at an average of 49.29 and a strike rate of 144.09, including two centuries and six fifties, with a highest score of 120 . He has also taken 3 wickets with his occasional bowling.
