IND vs NZ 2026: Shreyas Iyer to continue as Tilak Varma to miss New Zealand T20Is

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday confirmed that Shreyas Iyer will continue in India’s T20I squad for the remainder of the ongoing five-match series against New Zealand national cricket team, following Tilak Varma’s continued rehabilitation.

In an official media advisory issued on January 26, the BCCI stated that Tilak Varma has resumed physical training and is making steady progress at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. However, the left-handed batter will require additional time to achieve full match fitness and will therefore miss the final two T20Is of the ongoing five match series against New Zealand. He was initially ruled out for the first three games.

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Tilak is expected to link up with the Indian squad in Mumbai on February 3, once he regains full fitness, ahead of India’s warm-up fixture against South Africa for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. His recovery timeline has been structured with the global tournament in mind, with the team management keen to ensure he returns without risk of aggravation.

In Tilak’s absence, the Men’s Selection Committee has recommended that Iyer will continue as his replacement for the remaining matches of the series.

India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, have already enjoyed a dominant run in the series with currently leading the series with an unassailable lead of  3-0 and will use the final fixtures to fine-tune combinations and assess player roles ahead of the marquee tournament.

India’s updated T20I squad

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (ViC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Ravi Bishnoi.

With the T20 World Cup fast approaching, India’s management continues to prioritise player fitness and squad stability, ensuring key personnel are fully prepared for the demands of the tournament.