Tilak Varma laid all fitness concerns to rest on Monday as he played the T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up fixture against the USA at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
The left-handed batter, aged 23, missed the five T20Is against New Zealand after undergoing surgery for an abdominal issue in January 2026. The Indian management did not want to take any chances regarding India’s No.3 batter’s participation in the tournament, and hence, he was not risked in the series against the Black Caps.
However, Tilak turned up for India A to play against the US on Monday. In the warm-up tie, he batted at his usual No.3 spot, returning with a knock of 38 runs off 24 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes. However, he ended up losing his wicket as he tried to force the pace. He was dismissed by Shubham Ranjane.
The left-hander, known for his flair and beautiful elegance, also shared a 113-run stand for the second wicket with opening batter Narayan Jagadeesan. Tilak won’t be playing the second warm-up match for India A, and he will link up with the Indian squad on Tuesday, February 3, ahead of the team’s tournament opener against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium on February 7.
Speaking of Tilak, he was earlier ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued an official update, saying, “Tilak will resume physical training and gradually return to skill-based activities once his symptoms have fully resolved and wound healing is satisfactory. He is ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand.”
However, he was then deemed unfit for the last two matches against the Kiwis as well, as another update was provided by the Indian board, which read, “He will require additional time to regain full match fitness and will not be available for the final two T20Is of the ongoing five-match T20I series.”
Tilak Varma crucial for India
Over the past year, Tilak has become a crucial part of the Indian T20I setup. He had shown his class in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan, where he hit an unbeaten 69-run knock to help Suryakumar Yadav and his team to win the tournament at the Dubai International Stadium.
In 2024, he also slammed two centuries against South Africa, and what made the feat more special was the fact that it came back-to-back away from home in Centurion and Johannesburg.
India’s full squad for the T20 World Cup: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy and Washington Sundar.