Tilak Varma fires on return as Sanju Samson’s T20 World Cup hopes take nasty blow

Tilak Varma fires on return as pressure mounts on Sanju Samson. [Source - @bcci/x/AFP]

Tilak Varma finally returned to cricketing action after missing the entire five-match T20I series against New Zealand following surgery for testicular torsion suffered during the Vijay Hazare Trophy in early January.

Despite already being named in India’s T20 World Cup squad, doubts remained over his recovery timeline and form after surgery, making his comeback one of the most closely watched returns in recent times.

Those concerns eased as Tilak Varma turned up for India A in a warm-up game against USA on Monday, February 2, at the DY Patil Stadium, looking sharp, confident, and fully match-fit.

Tilak Varma impresses at No.3 on comeback vs USA

India A, batting first, lost their opening wicket at the end of the fourth over, forcing Tilak Varma to walk in at number three, a role he is widely expected to play for India in T20 World Cup action.

Tilak began cautiously, scoring his first ten runs off eight balls, focusing on timing and rotation before gradually opening up against the spinners with authority and confidence.

He scored a fluent 38 off 24 balls, including two fours and two sixes, supporting a blazing Narayan Jagadeesan before falling to a leg-side bouncer, offering a highly encouraging first look post-surgery.

Tilak’s firing return puts Sanju Samson under serious pressure

Tilak Varma’s strong return against USA only adds to Sanju Samson’s growing selection headache, especially with Ishan Kishan storming back into the Indian side with heavy runs at the top-order in the New Zealand series.

Sanju Samson, meanwhile, endured a disastrous run, scoring just 46 runs across five innings against New Zealand as an opener. He struggled for rhythm, confidence, and impact at a crucial time, leaving him increasingly vulnerable to missing out on India’s T20 World Cup playing XI.

India’s top order shake-up leaves Sanju Samson fighting for survival

Team India currently has four contenders for their top-order heading into the T20 World Cup. At the time of squad announcement, the opening pair was locked with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma.

With Tilak Varma sidelined during recovery from surgery, Ishan Kishan grabbed his opportunity at number three, smashing 215 runs in four matches against New Zealand at a staggering strike rate of 231.18, including a century and a half-century, while Samson endured a forgettable series.

Now, Tilak Varma’s return to full fitness is proving to be bad news for Sanju Samson. Since 2025, Tilak has been India’s second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, scoring 567 runs at an impressive average of 47.25.

His dominance at number three stands out even more, having scored 542 runs at an average of 60.22 with a strike rate of 160.83, including two hundreds and three fifties, making him India’s most reliable option in that role.

With Tilak set to reclaim the number three spot and Ishan Kishan likely to return as opener and wicketkeeper, Sanju Samson now finds himself on the brink, starting with India’s opening T20 World Cup clash against USA on February 7.