Shreyas Iyer will stay with India for the rest of the T20 series as Tilak Varma recovers from surgery, aiming for World Cup fitness
Tilak Varma And Shreyas Iyer (Photo credits : X)
Shreyas Iyer, who was brought into the Indian squad as a temporary replacement for Tilak Varma, is set to remain with the team for the rest of the ongoing five-match T20 series against New Zealand. Iyer will travel with the squad to Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram, where the final two matches of the series will be played.
Initially, Iyer was named as Tilak Varma’s replacement only for the first three T20Is. However, his continued presence with the team strongly suggests that Tilak will not return for the remainder of the series. Tilak Varma was ruled out after undergoing surgery earlier this month in Rajkot while playing a Vijay Hazare Trophy match. Since then, he has been recovering and is currently at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Tilak Varma is a must in this T20 World Cup squad. We need a calm, composed batter between monsters like Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. pic.twitter.com/ZqHD1AyrLT
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) January 26, 2026
According to sources close to Tilak, his recovery is going well. He has already begun his rehabilitation process, as seen in his recent social media posts. While he will miss the rest of the New Zealand T20 series, he is expected to regain full fitness in time for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7. The source added that Tilak is considered a strong certainty for World Cup selection once fit.
Despite staying with the squad, Shreyas Iyer has not yet featured in the playing XI during the current series. The right-handed batter, who is India’s vice-captain in ODIs, last played a T20 International in December 2023. Whether he will get a chance in the final two matches remains uncertain.
Shreyas Iyer in Guwahati 🏏✨ pic.twitter.com/Z2CLf3n9Pu
— RiYaaaaaa✨💫 (@ShreyRiii) January 25, 2026
Meanwhile, there is also concern surrounding Washington Sundar’s availability for the T20 World Cup. Sundar has been sidelined since the first ODI against New Zealand in Baroda. He suffered discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling on January 11 in Vadodara. Subsequent scans and medical consultations confirmed that he has a side strain.
The BCCI stated that Sundar has been advised to rest for a few days before reporting to the Centre of Excellence for further treatment. Ravi Bishnoi was named as his replacement for the T20Is. Bishnoi made a strong comeback to the Indian team after nearly a year, delivering an impressive performance in Guwahati with figures of two wickets for 18 runs. If Sundar remains unavailable, selectors are likely to continue backing Bishnoi for the T20 World Cup.
