Shreyas Iyer is set to remain with the Indian squad for the remaining T20Is against New Zealand, with Tilak Varma’s return being delayed as the BCCI continues to prioritise caution ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Iyer was drafted into the squad for the first three T20Is in Varma’s absence, marking his return to the T20I setup after a long gap. Now, with the team management unwilling to rush Tilak back into action, the Mumbai batter is likely to get an extended run in the build-up to the World Cup.
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According to a report in the Times of India, a BCCI official confirmed that the Centre of Excellence (CoE) is keen to ensure Tilak is fully match-ready before granting him clearance, even though he is currently pain-free. The initial plan was for Tilak to make his comeback in the fourth T20I against New Zealand, but that timeline has now been pushed back.
“He is pain-free at the moment and making very good progress, but the CoE wants him to be completely ready before giving him the green signal for the World Cup. The initial plan was to have him on the park for the fourth T20I. He could still be available for the final game, but may well return during the preparation matches in Mumbai,” the official said.
The official further clarified that there are no major concerns surrounding Tilak’s fitness, given that he was playing competitive cricket before suffering the injury. However, the selectors will wait for a formal ‘Return to Play’ (RTP) clearance from the CoE before taking any call.
“Tilak was playing competitive cricket before he got injured, so there is no issue on that front. The selectors will only proceed once the RTP is received from the CoE. No chances will be taken with any player, which is why there has been a delay in the initial timelines,” the official added.
Interestingly, despite being part of the squad, Shreyas Iyer has yet to feature in the ongoing series. Ishan Kishan has been preferred in all three matches so far and has impressed with his performances, keeping competition for spots intense as India fine-tunes their combination ahead of the World Cup.
