India have welcomed a timely boost with Tilak Varma passed fit to play both of their pre-tournament warm-ups before the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. The left-hander has spent close to a month on the sidelines after undergoing testicular surgery following a freak injury in the Ranji Trophy earlier in January.
The BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) signed off his return earlier today, noting that the 23-year-old had shown “steady progress with his rehabilitation”. First up, Tilak will feature for an India A XI against the United States at DY Patil Stadium on 2 February. Two days later he is pencilled in for India’s official warm-up against South Africa, also in Navi Mumbai. The main event starts for India on 7 February, when they take on the USA at the Wankhede.
His lay-off forced the selectors to shuffle the middle order during the recent T20I series against New Zealand – Ishan Kishan filled the No. 3 role in four of the five matches – but the coaching group always expected Tilak to return in time for the World Cup. One member of the support staff, speaking on background, said the medical updates had been “pretty encouraging from day one”.
Washington Sundar, the only other senior player currently in the treatment room, is due a fitness test later this week after a recurring ankle niggle. The all-rounder remains optimistic but the selectors will want clear evidence he can cope with back-to-back fixtures.
Meanwhile Riyan Parag, out since early December with a shoulder issue, has been drafted into the India A squad for both of their tune-ups – against the USA and then Namibia on 6 February at the CoE in Bengaluru – with the expectation he will join the main group if he comes through unscathed.
India’s Group A schedule reads: USA (7 Feb, Mumbai), Namibia (12 Feb, Delhi), Pakistan (15 Feb, Colombo) and Netherlands (18 Feb, Ahmedabad). It is tight, and they will want their squad at full strength by the time Pakistan roll into Colombo.
