India’s selectors have a fresh headache just a fortnight out from the New Zealand series, with Tilak Varma’s availability now in serious doubt. The left-hander underwent testicular surgery in Rajkot on Wednesday and has been advised to begin rehab at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru as soon as he is able to travel.
Varma, captaining Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, felt discomfort only after Tuesday’s match against Bengal. Scans revealed an issue that required an immediate procedure rather than conservative treatment, medical staff said. Early estimates suggest three to four weeks on the sidelines, though that could shift once the specialists in Bengaluru have a proper look.
Timing could hardly be tighter. The first of five T20Is against New Zealand starts on 21 January, and India’s opening T20 World Cup fixture, against the USA in Mumbai, is pencilled in for 7 February. Even a smooth recovery leaves little wriggle room. India’s group also includes Namibia (12 February), Pakistan (15 February) and the Netherlands (18 February).
On the domestic front Varma had begun the season smartly: 109 against Chandigarh last week, followed by 34 versus Bengal. Internationally his past twelve months have been steady rather than spectacular, but valuable all the same—567 runs in 18 T20I innings at 47.25 and a strike-rate a touch over 129, covering assignments in the Asia Cup, home T20Is against Australia and the December trip to South Africa.
For now the BCCI has not named a stand-in for the New Zealand series. Rules allow changes to the provisional World Cup squad without ICC approval until 31 January, so the selectors can wait for the next medical update before they make a call. Should they need to go down that road, uncapped left-handers Yashasvi Jaiswal or Abhishek Sharma would keep the batting order balanced, while Rinku Singh offers finishing power from the right side of the wicket—plenty of options, if not quite a like-for-like.
Varma’s absence, should it come to that, will sting Hyderabad and India alike, but nobody is rushing the process. A straightforward recovery and a short stint at the nets could yet see him on the park against New Zealand—and, more importantly, fully ready for that World Cup curtain-raiser in Mumbai.
