Shreyas Iyer’s sudden recall to India’s T20I squad was always a stop-gap arrangement, and it now appears his stay won’t be extended. Tilak Varma, India’s designated No.3 in T20Is, is close to full fitness and could be available before the New Zealand series ends, effectively shutting the door on Iyer’s World Cup hopes, if there were any.
Tilak, who underwent surgery for an abdominal issue in Rajkot earlier this month, will reach the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) today (January 20) for a detailed fitness assessment. According to Times of India, the left-hander is pain-free and has already resumed light physical training. If he clears the final tests, he could be available from the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam on January 28. Iyer replaced Tilak for the first three T20Is, while Ravi Bishnoi was added to the squad after Washington Sundar got out due to side strain.
The 23-year-old has been a pillar of India’s new-look T20 side. In 2025, he scored 567 runs in 18 innings at an average of 47.25 and strike rate of 129.15, numbers that made him a certainty for the T20 World Cup 2026. Only Abhishek Sharma (859) scored more T20I runs than Tilak for India in 2025. His absence forced the selectors to draft in Iyer for the first three matches, but the ODI vice-captain was never part of the long-term T20 blueprint. While he should’ve been but that is a different debate.
Tilak’s return changes the equation
When Tilak was rushed to hospital during the Vijay Hazare Trophy after acute pain, there was a fear that he might miss the World Cup altogether. The BCCI later confirmed it was a minor procedure and ruled him out only for the first three T20Is. His childhood coach Salam Bayash had insisted the batter would be back within ten days, and the latest update supports that optimism.
Iyer, meanwhile, last played a T20I in December 2023 and has not featured in the format since the previous IPL final. His inclusion was purely cover, not a revival of his T20 career. Once Tilak is cleared, India’s middle order will revert to the original plan. India might start with Ishan Kishan at the first place and not Iyer since the former is part of the T20 World Cup as well.
India’s squad for New Zealand T20I series
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi
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