IND vs NZ: The hosts have got a huge injury blow in less than a month before the 2026 T20 World Cup, where they will lock horns with the USA in their tournament opener. Star batter Tilak Varma had to undergo surgery owing to a groin injury and will be staying out of action for now. He has already been ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand.
There's no certainty as to when he will return to competitive cricket, although Tilak did provide an update on his return. BCCI revealed that his availability for the two matches will depend on “progress during the return-to-training and skill phases."
For now, there is no replacement named.
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Ex-India cricketer Aakash Chopra has revealed that it's the right time to call Shreyas Iyer back in the T20I team as he has performed well to earn a spot. He also said that the management shouldn't pick Shubman Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal as they are openers and the team is looking for a middle-order batter.
“They (India) will have to find a new player. Could it be Shubman Gill? No, it shouldn’t be him. Not even Yashasvi Jaiswal. You do not need an opener. Tilak Varma bats in the middle order. You need someone at No. 3 or No. 4, and if he’s able to contribute with the ball, then excellent. But you do not need an opener," Chopra wrote on his X account.
“If they cannot be part of this conversation, then who can it be? Shreyas Iyer. He should be an automatic pick, has already playing really well. Did well in Vijay Hazare. When he wasn’t picked for the Asia Cup, it felt wrong. But there’s an opportunity here for a middle-order batter, a senior batter who set IPL on fire. He fits the bill. Shreyas Iyer will get my vote," he said.
Iyer hasn't played for India for the last two years. But he was one of the star performers of IPL as he took the team to the final, where he had scored 604 runs at a staggering strike-rate of 175.07.
Chopra revealed that if the selectors want to pick someone who can also bowl, then they should pick Riyan Parag as he also been a part of the T20I team.
“If you don’t want to go with Shreyas Iyer, then I would suggest Riyan Parag because he’s been in India’s T20I scheme of things, and can bowl a little. If you need an all-rounder – a player with two skills – then Riyan Parag would be that guy, but my first choice is Shreyas Iyer," he said.
Jitesh Sharma too has a slight chance, but since there are already two wicketkeeper-batters like Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan in the Indian team, he might not make it to the cut.
“Jitesh Sharma can be thought of as an outside chance because you are not looking for an opener. There’s no Ruturaj Gaikwad, no Shubman Gill. I am looking for a middle-order batter. Jitesh Sharma was recently part of the team. What goes against him is that he’s a wicketkeeper, and you don’t need three of them. So, I will suggest Shreyas Iyer," he concluded.