Shreyas Iyer to continue as Tilak Varma's replacement for NZ T20Is

Shreyas Iyer will continue as Tilak Varma's replacement for the final two T20Is against New Zealand, the BCCI confirmed. Varma is recovering from surgery but requires more time to regain full match fitness and will miss the rest of the series.

Indian batter Shreyas Iyer is set to continue as Tilak Varma's replacement till the end of the ongoing India vs New Zealand T20I series, the Board of Control for India (BCCI) confirmed in a media advisory on Monday.

The BCCI added that Tilak has resumed physical training and is progressing well with his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. However, the left-handed batter needs more time to regain full match fitness and will miss the fourth and fifth T20Is of the five-match series.

Tilak Varma's Fitness Update

Earlier, Tilak Varma underwent surgery for an abdominal issue in Rajkot and the Men's Selection Committee had then added Iyer to the T20I squad for the first three matches as a replacement.

"India batter Tilak Varma has resumed physical training and is making steady progress with his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. However, he will require additional time to regain full match fitness and will not be available for the final two T20Is of the ongoing IDFC First Bank five-match T20I series," the BCCI media advisory said.

Tilak Varma will join the Indian squad on February 3 in Mumbai once he has regained full match fitness, ahead of India's warm-up match for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, said the BCCI.

Selection Committee Retains Shreyas Iyer

The BCCI further confirmed that the selection committee recommended that Shreyas Iyer continue as Tilak Varma's replacement for the rest of the series.

Notably, Shreyas Iyer is yet to feature in the playing 11 for India in the New Zealand T20Is.

"The Men's Selection Committee has recommended that Shreyas Iyer will continue as Tilak Varma's replacement for the remaining matches," BCCI's advisory states further.

Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India have dominated the first three T20Is and sealed the five-match series with an unassailable 3-0 lead.

India's Updated T20I Squad

India's updated T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi. (ANI)

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