India A Squad for T20 World Cup 2026 Warm Up Matches announced; Tilak Varma back

Tilak Varma returns [Source: @KKRWeRule/x]

The India A squad has been announced for the upcoming warm-up matches of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 against USA and Namibia. Tilak Varma, star international and part of India’s T20 World Cup team, will be making his return through the match prior to the showpiece event.

All-rounder Riyan Parag and fast bowler Mayank Yadav have also seemingly recovered from their respective injuries as the two cricketers have been listed in the India A squad. IPL cult hero Ayush Badoni was named captain of the side, and he is joined by a slew of domestic stars in the squad.

Ayush Badoni to lead Tilak Varma in T20 World Cup 2026 warm-ups

The India A squad for the warm-up fixtures of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has been officially unveiled by the BCCI. As per the announcement, Delhi cricketer and LSG star Ayush Badoni has been appointed as captain of the India A team.

Fellow IPL cult heroes Ashutosh Sharma and Priyansh Arya among others have also been included in the 15-player group.

Among the major international stars, ace Indian spinner Ravi Bishnoi found a spot in the squad alongside prolific middle-order batter Tilak Varma. For Tilak, the India A warm-up fixtures serve as a crucial testing ground before the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 considering the left-handed batter recently missed the T20I series against New Zealand owing to an abdomen issue.

However, the BCCI also confirmed that Tilak Varma will only participate in one of the two warm-up matches as the cricketer is scheduled to join the Indian team for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup in Mumbai later this week.

Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Riyan Parag and LSG quick Mayank Yadav, who recently trained with Tilak Varma at the BCCI CoE, have also seemingly recovered from their injuries as the two cricketers are part of the India A squad. Here is a look at the entire India A squad ahead of their warm-up match against USA.

India A squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up fixtures:

Ayush Badoni (c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Ashutosh Sharma, Priyansh Arya, N Jagadeesan (wk), Riyan Parag, Manav Suthar, Ashok Sharma, Urvil Patel (wk), Gurjapneet Singh, Vipraj Nigam, Ravi Bishnoi, Khaleel Ahmed and Mayank Yadav.

All eyes on Tilak Varma as T20I star returns

The spotlight will now shift to Tilak Varma, who makes a timely return through India A’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up matches. His return to the field will surely add extra intrigue to the warm-up fixtures ahead of the showpiece event later this week.

It is worth noting that Tilak suffered an abdominal issue last month and had to undergo an emergency surgery. He was also forced to miss India’s entire five-match T20I series against New Zealand, making his return for the warm-ups all the more all the more significant in context of the Indian national team.

India A schedule for warm-ups

The India A team is scheduled to provide warm-up time to two visiting teams, namely the USA and Namibia. The India A vs USA match will take place at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday, February 2.

The India A team will then face Namibia in Bengaluru on February 6.