T20 World Cup 2026: 5 Players Who Could Replace Tilak Varma In India's Squad
Tilak Varma's injury has thrown open a window of opportunity for players to grab a spot in India's T20 squad. Here is a look at players who could make a return for India in the shortest format.
Indian batter Tilak Varma has undergone a testicular surgery after he complained of pain on Wednesday in Rajkot. He was with his Hyderabad team during the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
As a result, the 23-year-old is now set to miss the T20I series against New Zealand scheduled later this month. According to multiple media reports, the left-handed batter could be out of action for four to five weeks.
There are now doubts over Varma's participation in the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup as well. The tournament begins on Feb. 7.
Varma is an integral part of India's T20I setup and his unavailability from the squad will force the Indian think-tank to look for possible replacements.
Here is a look at five players who could replace Varma in India's T20I squad:
1. Shreyas Iyer
(Source: Shreyas Iyer's official Facebook handle)
Shreyas Iyer is now the hot favourite to return to India's T20I squad. The 31-year-old hasn't played a T20I match for India since December 2023 but that doesn't mean he is out of touch with the T20 format.
Despite being away from India's T20I squad, Iyer has continued to impress in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 2024, he captained Kolkata Knight Riders and guided the team to winning the IPL.
Last year he was the skipper of the Punjab Kings and guided them to the IPL final for the first time in 11 years. Needless to say, Iyer has shown his leadership skills.
In these two seasons, Iyer has played 32 matches and accumulated 955 runs and hit eight half-centuries. Iyer could get selector's nod given his leadership qualities and batting abilities.
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Maharashtra's captain Ruturaj Gaikwad plays a shot during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 cricket match between Maharashtra and Mumbai, at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, in Jaipur, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (PTI Photo)
Ruturaj Gaikwad is another batter who brings leadership acumen and great batting abilities on the table. Gaikwad is the captain of Chennai Super Kings and leads Maharashtra in domestic cricket.
The 28-year-old is currently out of the reckoning for India's T20I squad but has already played 23 matches for the Men in Blue in which he has scored 633 runs, hitting four fifties and a hundred along the way.
His white-ball form is showing a lot of promise. In the ODI series played against South Africa in early December, he brought up his maiden ODI hundred. The right handed batter is currently playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy where he has hit two tons already and is now the joint-top century maker in the tournament's history.
3. Rajat Patidar
RCB's Rajat Patidar (Source: Official X Account of RCB)
Rajat Patidar is the captain of the defending champions of the IPL. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has seen many quality captains, but it is under him that their 18 years of wait for an IPL title finally ended.
That achievement and his strong batting record in the IPL gives Patidar a chance to earn a call in India's T20I squad.
The 32 year-old is yet to play T20Is for India but his record in T20 format is very good. The right hander has played 98 T20 matches and scored 2,888 runs at an average of 34.38 and a strike rate of 155.51.
One of his most memorable innings was when he hit an unbeaten 112 in 54 balls for RCB against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2022 eliminator. That knock made everyone sit up and take notice of his talent.
4. KL Rahul
KL Rahul last played a T20I match for India in November 2022. (Source: NDTV)
After Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirements from T20Is and Tests, KL Rahul has become one of India's most experienced cricketers both the formats.
The 33-year-old is someone who can play anywhere in batting order and can also keep wickets. He also carries the experience of captaining India and has also led teams in the IPL.
Rahul last played a T20I match for India in November 2022, but given his wealth of experience, his return to the squad could be just round the corner.
Rahul has played 72 T20I matches for India and scored 2,265 runs at an average of 37.35 and a strike rate of 139.12.
5. Jitesh Sharma
Jitesh Sharma would be a left-field choice but he has recently been involved with the Indian T20I squad. He was part of the team in the series against South Africa in December 2025. He played all the four matches that were played.
He scored 37 runs in effectively two innings (three in total), but it wasn't enough for him to retain his place in the T20 World Cup squad. Overall Jitesh has played 16 T20Is and scored 162 runs at a strike rate of 151.4 with an average of 18.
