Tilak Varma teases India return before T20 World Cup with intense training session

Tilak Varma [Source: @tilakvarma9/Instagram]

Tilak Varma has posted an encouraging and positive social media update for his fans. Currently at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), the cricketer shared several pictures and videos of himself as he gears up to make his national return before next month’s 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

It is worth noting that Tilak Varma sustained an abdominal issue earlier this month during his time with the Hyderabad cricket team in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy season. The 23-year-old was subsequently excluded from Team India squad for the first three T20Is of the five-match home series against New Zealand.

Tilak Varma “leaving no stone unturned” in comeback prep

Tilak Varma recently underwent an emergency surgery for his abdominal issue in Rajkot earlier this month on January 7. The BCCI later excluded the star Indian batter from India’s squad for the first three T20Is of the home series against New Zealand.

Tilak Varma also checked into the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru in a bid to rehabilitate from his injury. On Wednesday, January 21; the young Indian batter took to his Instagram account and shared pictures of his training at the center. Varma also caught up with fellow recovering Indian player Rishabh Pant, as seen on his latest post.

In the caption, Tilak Varma wrote, “leaving no stone unturned, comeback soon.”

With Tilak Varma looking in good shape at the BCCI CoE, the cricketer will likely be making his return to the national squad for the final two T20Is of the five-match series against New Zealand.

The BCCI is expected to name the Indian squad for the final two matches within the coming days. The fourth and fifth T20Is of the India vs New Zealand series will be played on January 28 in Vizag and January 31 in Thiruvananthapuram respectively.

The series marks a testing ground for both sides before the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Tilak Varma on road towards T20 World Cup 2026

Tilak Varma has been in exceptional form with the bat for Team India in T20Is off late. The elegant left-handed batter punched out a regal 69* from 53 balls last year against arch-rivals Pakistan to lift the 2025 Men’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai.

Tilak Varma also top scored for the Indian team in last month’s five-match T20I series against South Africa at home. The Mumbai Indians star aggregated 187 runs in four innings with two half-centuries, including a match-winning one at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

The left-hander also blasted a match-winning 109 off 118 balls for Hyderabad in their Elite Group B match of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season in Rajkot on January 3. He followed it up with another swift 34-run knock against Bengal before his abdominal injury ruled him out of the first half of India’s five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

With form on his side, all Tilak Varma needs to do is attain full recovery at the BCCI CoE to join the national side before the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.