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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 Tilak Varma ruled out of first three T20Is vs New Zealand
- 2🏆 Surgery forces India to reshuffle T20 middle order pre-T20WC
- 3💡 Availability for last two NZ games depends on rehab progress
- 4🔮 India banking on full recovery before T20 World Cup 2026
"The 23-year-old batter underwent surgery for an abdominal issue and will now begin rehabilitation."
A key piece of Team India’s new‑look T20 middle order, Tilak Varma will miss the first three T20Is against New Zealand, a worrying twist so close to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Surgery setback before crucial T20WC build-up
The 23-year-old left-hander recently underwent surgery for an abdominal issue in Rajkot and has now been ruled out of the opening half of the five-match home series. Medical staff are pleased with his early recovery and he has already been discharged, set to begin a careful rehab block before any return to high-intensity cricket.
For the remaining two T20Is, the call on Tilak’s availability will be purely fitness-based. He will first move through light physical work and only then progress to batting and fielding drills once the surgical wound has healed fully.
From an Indian fan’s lens, the timing stings. Tilak was one of the biggest gains of 2025 in the shortest format, a left-hander who could control chases and attack spin in a very Suryakumar-lite mould. His absence in the early games against the Blackcaps forces the think-tank to re-balance the middle order and also delays crucial game time ahead of a World Cup year.
The one silver lining: at 23, with quick medical intervention done and no long-term damage indicated, India will expect him to be back in blue well before the World Cup, provided rehab stays on track.
