Team India has received a major boost with just few days to the start of T20 World Cup 2026 as their star batter Tilak Varma has been discharged from BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) after completing his rehabilitation after undergoing surgery for an abdominal issue.
He has successfully regained the match fitness. Having cleared the fitness test Tilak is expected to join Team India on February 3 in Mumbai.
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Tilak's return is a good sign for India heading into T20 World Cup, which is set to kick off from February 7. The flamboyant southpaw has proved his batting might over the time in the T20Is. The Mumbai Indians star is the team’s designated No. 3, a role he has excelled in with his ability to anchor the innings or accelerate as needed.
During Tilak's recent absence, Ishan Kishan stepped into the No. 3 spot and delivered several impressive performances against New Zealand. This has created a healthy selection dilemma for the team management, who must now decide how to fit both left-handers into the playing XI or if one will have to sit out given their similar aggressive skill sets.
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Tilak should be available for the T20 World Cup warm-up match against South Africa on February 4 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. This tournament will be a career milestone for the 23-year-old, as it marks his first appearance in an ICC event. Given his last T20I outing, a blistering 73 off 42 balls against South Africa in December 2025—his comeback is timed perfectly for India's World Cup preparations.
India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad
India cricket team: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh