A star Indian cricketer has been ruled out for the first three T20Is of the upcoming five-match home T20I series against New Zealand, which will begin on January 21.

Tilak Varma ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand

The 23-year-old Tilak Varma just had a testicular torsion surgery last Wednesday (January 7). On Thursday (January 8), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Tilak was discharged from the hospital and had been ruled out of the first three T20Is of the upcoming home T20I series against New Zealand.  

Meanwhile, the BCCI also added that Tilak's availability for the remaining two matches of the series would be decided based on his progress in training and skill phases. 

🚨 NEWS 🚨

Tilak Varma ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand.

His availability for the remaining two matches will be assessed based on his progress during the return-to-training and skill phases.

Details 🔽 | #TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank…

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 8, 2026

What is 'Testicular Torsion' surgery and how risky it can be for Tilak Varma? Know in detail

Tilak Varma is recovering well

In the official statement, the BCCI clarified that Tilak would return to Hyderabad on Friday (January 9), while he was stable and progressing well. 

Earlier, Hyderabad coach DB Ravi Teja told Cricbuzz that Tilak would be fit in a few days, as the surgery was very minor. The coach assured that the player was with the team and would fly to Hyderabad the next day.  

With Tilak's surgery news, many fans thought the Asia Cup 2025 Final hero would miss the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which India and Sri Lanka will jointly host between February 7 and March 8, 2026. Tilak was the leading run-scorer in the recently concluded five-match home T20I series against South Africa, as his presence is very important for the Men in Blues to defend the T20 World Cup title. 

But the latest information from the Hyderabad coach brings a huge hope to the Indian cricket fans, which is only strengthened by the BCCI's latest statement.