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India’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 final hero Tilak Varma suffered an abdomen injury which puts him in doubt for the five-T20I series against New Zealand leading up to the T20 World Cup 2026.
Varma felt pain in his abdomen after having breakfast on January 7 morning in Rajkot on the eve of Hyderabad's last league stage game of Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. He was rushed to hospital where he was advised surgery.
“Tilak faced severe pain in his abdomen today (Wednesday). He was rushed to a hospital in Rajkot, where various scans were done, and reports were sent to doctors at the COE,” a source told the Indian Express.
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“Doctors have advised him to undergo surgery, which will take three to four weeks for him to recover. Chances of playing the entire T20I against New Zealand looks bleak,” he added.
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Who will replace Varma if he misses out?
If he undergoes surgery and misses three to four weeks of action, it puts him in doubt for the first few games of T20 World Cup 2026. India are scheduled to take on USA in their campaign opener on January 8.
Last month, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was confirmed as the designated no.3 batter. His ouster may lead to Suryakumar taking the no.3 spot again.
It is yet to be seen whether Shubman Gill who was dropped from the T20 squad makes a comeback. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to name his replacement for the five-T20I series which commences on January 21.
Varma's impact in numbers
23-year-old Varma has an excellent record in T20Is. From 37 innings, he has scored 1,183 runs already at an average of 49.29 and strike rate of 144.09. He has two centuries and six fifties to his name.
He averages 68 in T20I run chases. From 16 innings, he has 544 runs. All his T20I half-centuries have come in run chases.
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