Shreyas Iyer Gets Extension For NZ T20Is, BCCI Gives Big Update On Tilak Varma
BCCI on Monday announced that batter Shreyas Iyer will continue to be a part of India's T20I squad for the remaining two matches against New Zealand.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced that batter Shreyas Iyer will continue to be a part of India's T20I squad for the remaining two matches against New Zealand. Currently, India have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead over the Blackcaps. Shreyas came as a temporary replacement of an injured Tilak Varma for the first three games of the five-match series. However, Tilak, who is recovering from an abdominal surgery, is yet to regain full match fitness and has been left out of the squad.
Tilak is at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He was expected to join the squad for the last two games but his replacement, Shreyas Iyer, has been asked to stay on with the squad.
"India batter Tilak Varma has resumed physical training and is making steady progress with his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. However, he will require additional time to regain full match fitness and will not be available for the final two T20Is of the ongoing five-match T20I series," secretary Devajit Saikia was quoted as saying in a media release.
"Tilak will link up with the squad in Mumbai once he has regained full match fitness on February 3, ahead of India's warm-up match for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. The Men's Selection Committee has recommended that Shreyas Iyer will continue as Tilak Varma's replacement for the remaining matches," the release further stated.
Iyer, the vice-captain in ODIs, has not secured a spot in the playing XI for the current series, which India won by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead on Sunday. He has not appeared in a T20I since December 2023.
India's updated T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi.
(With agency inputs)
India Cricket Team
New Zealand Cricket Team