The BCCI said Varma was discharged from hospital on Thursday morning and is scheduled to fly back to Hyderabad on Friday.
India’s Tilak Varma arrives at Kangra Airport ahead of their T20 match scheduled for Sunday, December 14, 2025, at the HPCA Cricket Stadium, in Dharamshala on Friday, December 12, 2025. (Photo: IANS/X/@BCCI)
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Thursday that India batter Tilak Varma has been ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand after undergoing emergency surgery in Rajkot.
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Varma experienced sharp abdominal pain after breakfast and was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors advised immediate surgery at a super-speciality facility. The 23-year-old was in Rajkot to represent Hyderabad in their final Vijay Hazare Trophy league-stage match against Jammu & Kashmir at the Niranjan Shah Stadium (Ground C).
NEWS
Tilak Varma 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.
Details | #TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank…
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 8, 2026
Providing an update, the BCCI said Varma was discharged from hospital on Thursday morning and is scheduled to fly back to Hyderabad on Friday.
“He is currently stable and progressing well,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said in a statement.
“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. His availability for the remaining two matches will be assessed based on his progress during the return-to-training and skill phases.”
India and New Zealand will play the first three T20Is in Nagpur, Raipur, and Guwahati on January 21, 23, and 25, followed by matches in Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram on January 28 and 31. The BCCI is yet to announce a replacement for Varma for the opening three games.
Varma’s recovery timeline has also cast doubt over his availability for India’s T20 World Cup opener against the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7. India’s group-stage fixtures are scheduled against Namibia on February 12, Pakistan on February 15, and the Netherlands on February 18.
A key figure in India’s T20I setup, Varma has scored 1,183 runs in 37 innings at an impressive average of 49.29 and a strike rate of 144.09, including two centuries and six half-centuries. His absence could see captain Suryakumar Yadav move up to No. 3 in the batting order.
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