India’s Tilak Varma doubtful for T20 World Cup after emergency surgery

India have suffered a major setback ahead of the 2025 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with middle-order batter Tilak Varma doubtful for the tournament following emergency surgery. The 23-year-old has already been ruled out of the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Varma underwent surgery for testicular torsion after complaining of severe abdominal pain on Wednesday morning in Rajkot. The incident occurred a day before Hyderabad were scheduled to play their final Vijay Hazare Trophy league match against Jammu and Kashmir.

According to media reports, Varma felt intense pain shortly after breakfast and was immediately taken to hospital. Scans revealed the need for urgent surgery, which was carried out later that evening at a super-speciality hospital in Rajkot. The procedure was conducted in consultation with doctors from the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Officials said the surgery was successful and Varma is recovering well. He is expected to be discharged soon, though his return to competitive cricket remains uncertain.

“It was a medical emergency given the level of pain he was in. Thankfully, the operation went smoothly,” an official said, adding that clarity on his availability for the T20 World Cup is expected in the next few days.

A senior sports medicine expert told IANS recovery from such surgery can take up to a month, depending on the extent of tissue damage and pain management. “In these cases, the key factor is how quickly the body heals after blood supply is restored,” the specialist said.

With the World Cup just weeks away, Varma’s participation now hangs in the balance.

Varma has become an important part of India’s T20 setup over the past year. He was one of the standout performers in the Asia Cup 2025 and played a decisive role in the final, scoring an unbeaten 69 against Pakistan to guide India to the title.

Since making his T20I debut against the West Indies in August 2023, Varma has featured in 40 matches, scoring 1,183 runs at an average of 49.29 and a strike rate of over 144. He has hit two centuries and six half-centuries, earning praise for his calm approach and clean hitting.

The BCCI is yet to announce a replacement for Varma in the New Zealand series, which begins on January 21 in Nagpur. His absence could open the door for players such as Shreyas Iyer to return to the T20I squad.

India’s team management will be hoping Varma recovers in time, but for now, his World Cup hopes remain uncertain.