&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "India batter Tilak Varma undergoes surgery, doubtful for New Zealand series")
India suffered a major setback ahead of the T20I series against the Black Caps, with batter Tilak Varma having undergone surgery for testicular torsion and expected to be sidelined for a few weeks. The five-match T20I series starting on January 21 will be India’s final assignment before they start their World Cup title defence at home. Tilak’s injury has raised serious concerns within the camp, as he is likely to miss the entire series and could also be unavailable for the early phase of upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 preparations.
The 23-year-old left-hand batter was in Rajkot, representing Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy when he suddenly felt severe pain (acute testicular pain). He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where scans diagnosed him with testicular torsion and doctors recommended immediate surgery.
This injury is a major setback for India, as Tilak has been a key player for the team in the T20Is over the past year. He played a crucial role in India’s Asia Cup 2025 win, scoring an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls in the final against Pakistan.
He was also the top run-scorer in the recent home series against South Africa, with 187 runs in four innings. His absence will be strongly felt in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.
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IND vs NZ, T20Is - Full schedule
- 1st T20I: 21 Jan, 2026, at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur (7:00 PM IST)
- 2nd T20I: 23 Jan, 2026, at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur (7:00 PM IST)
- 3rd T20I: 25 Jan, 2026, at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati (7:00 PM IST)
- 4th T20I: 28 Jan, 2026, at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam (7:00 PM IST)
- 5th T20I: 31 Jan, 2026, at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram (7:00 PM IST)
India’s squad for T20I series against New Zealand
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)
