Not Shubman Gill Or Yashasvi Jaiswal, If Tilak Varma Is Ruled Out Of T20 World Cup This Star Backed To Replace Him
India were dealt a major blow just ahead of the T20 World Cup, starting February 7, with middle-order batter Tilak Varma being ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand
- India's Tilak Varma has been ruled out of first three T20Is against New Zealand due to injury
- The New Zealand series is India's last before the T20 World Cup starting February 7
- Aakash Chopra recommends Shreyas Iyer as Varma's replacement if he is ruled out of the T20 World Cup
India were dealt a major blow just ahead of the T20 World Cup, starting February 7, with middle-order batter Tilak Varma being ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand. The bilateral series, beginning January 21, is the last contest for the Indian cricket team before the global event. Tilak Varma's injury is bound to raise India's headache. "He is currently stable and progressing well. Tilak will resume physical training and gradually return to skill-based activities once his symptoms have fully resolved and wound healing is satisfactory," said the BCCI in its latest update on Tilak Varma.
But if Tilak Varma misses out on the T20 World Cup, who could replace him in the squad? Former India star Aakash Chopra provided a detailed analysis on the subject.
"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 said on X.
"If they cannot be part of this conversation, then who can it be? Shreyas Iyer. He should be an automatic pick, has already been playing really well. Did well in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. 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 the IPL on fire. He fits the bill. Shreyas Iyer will get my vote," he said.
Tilak Verma is injured and could even miss out on the T20 World Cup. Who could replace him in the squad? Here are my picks. What's yours? #cricket pic.twitter.com/ap0CwWYCki
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 8, 2026
"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 added.
"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."
Tilak Varma was India's top scorer in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan.
India Cricket Team