India’s designated No. 3, Tilak Verma, was ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand starting January 21 after undergoing abdominal surgery following discomfort during the Vijay Hazare Trophy game between Hyderabad and Bengal.
After completing duties for India in the South Africa T20I series, where he scored a couple of half-centuries to help India, he returned to lead Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26. He played two matches, first against Chandigarh, where he scored a century and followed it with an innings of 34 against Bengal.
After the match on 6 January, Tilak experienced pain and was advised to undergo a scan immediately. This looked like a big blow to the Indian contingent ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Tilak Verma goes to COE with hopes of India’s comeback amid New Zealand series
The left-handed batsman has been the backbone of India’s middle-overs batting in recent years. His injury shocked India, although it turned out to be a boon for senior player Shreyas Iyer, who made his long-awaited comeback in the shortest format.
According to TOI, the young cricketer left for the BCCI Center of Excellence on Tuesday and is not feeling any pain at the moment. He is going to the COE to seek approval after the fitness test. He is accelerating his comeback with the aim of returning before the fourth match against New Zealand.
“If all goes well, he will be fit before the fourth T20I in Visakhapatnam on January 28. He has resumed physical training and will resume batting and other skill-based activities in a day or two,” a source tracking developments told TOI.
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Many more to follow….
