India National Cricket Team vs New Zealand National Cricket Team Match: India batter Tilak Varma has been ruled out of the first three matches of the five-game T20I series against New Zealand following abdominal surgery, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Thursday, January 8, 2026. The 23-year-old underwent surgery in Rajkot on Wednesday, January 7, and was discharged from the hospital Thursday morning. He is scheduled to return to Hyderabad on Friday and is reported to be stable and recovering well.
“Tilak Varma underwent surgery for an abdominal issue in Rajkot on Wednesday, 7 January. He was discharged from the hospital on Thursday morning and is scheduled to fly back to Hyderabad on Friday. He is currently stable and progressing well,” the BCCI said in a statement. “He is ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand. His availability for the remaining two matches will be assessed based on his progress during the return-to-training and skill phases.”
Varma’s absence will force the Indian selection panel to consider replacements for the New Zealand T20 series ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Here are five potential candidates to replace Varma in the T20I squad:
Ruturaj Gaikwad – The 28-year-old captain of Chennai Super Kings and Maharashtra in domestic cricket has played 23 T20Is for India, scoring 633 runs with a century and four fifties. Gaikwad is currently in form, having scored two hundreds in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Shreyas Iyer – The 31-year-old has not played a T20I for India since December 2023 but remains in form. Iyer captained Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title in 2024 and Punjab Kings to the IPL final last year. In the last two IPL seasons, he played 32 matches, scoring 955 runs with eight half-centuries.
Jitesh Sharma – A left-field option, the 28-year-old was part of India’s T20I squad against South Africa in December 2025. He scored 37 runs in effectively two innings and has played 16 T20Is overall, accumulating 162 runs at a strike rate of 151.4.
KL Rahul – Following Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirements, the 33-year-old is among India’s most experienced batsmen. Rahul can bat anywhere, keep wickets, and has captained India and IPL teams. He has played 72 T20Is for India, scoring 2,265 runs at an average of 37.35 and a strike rate of 139.12.
Rajat Patidar – The 32-year-old led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first IPL title in 18 years. Patidar has yet to play a T20I but has a strong T20 record, scoring 2,888 runs in 98 matches at an average of 34.38 and a strike rate of 155.51. He is known for an unbeaten 112 off 54 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2022 eliminator.
