Tilak Varma, the promising batsman for Team India, has recently undergone surgery to address a serious groin issue that has caused him significant discomfort. As a result of this injury, he will miss the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, casting doubt on his availability for the early matches of the T20 World Cup 2026.
Varma was swiftly admitted to the hospital after experiencing acute pain while participating in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy with the Hyderabad team.
The five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand is slated to begin on January 21 in Nagpur.
According to a BCCI official, “Tilak Varma reported acute testicular pain in Rajkot, where he is competing in the Vijay Hazare tournament. He was taken to Gokul Hospital, where scans confirmed a diagnosis of testicular torsion, leading to an urgent recommendation for surgery.”
The official added, “We consulted our specialists, who concurred with the urgency of the situation. Tilak has successfully undergone surgery and is currently recovering well. We will provide updates regarding his recovery timeline once we have further discussions with the medical team.”
It has been confirmed that Varma will not be part of the New Zealand series.
Looking ahead, the T20 World Cup 2026 is set to take place in India and Sri Lanka, starting on February 7. The defending champions, Team India, will kick off their campaign against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on the opening day.
Following that, they will face Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, and their highly anticipated match against arch-rivals Pakistan is scheduled for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. India will wrap up the group stage with a clash against the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 includes: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, and Ishan Kishan (WK).