India have suffered a major setback ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 with batter Tilak Varma reportedly sustaining an abdominal injury that could sideline him from the upcoming home series against New Zealand.

India are scheduled to face New Zealand in a five-match T20I series starting January 21, which will be their final assignment before beginning their World Cup title defence at home. However, according to The Indian Express, Varma’s injury has cast a shadow over the team’s preparations.

The 23-year-old left-hander was in Rajkot representing Hyderabad in the Vijay Hazare Trophy when he experienced severe abdominal pain after breakfast on Wednesday morning. He was immediately rushed to hospital, where he underwent medical scans the reports of which were shared with the doctors at the at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru.

Tilak has been have advised to undergo surgery, which is expected to keep him out of action for three to four weeks. As a result, he’s likely to miss the entire T20I series against New Zealand, with his availability for the early part of the World Cup preparations also under a cloud.

While the Indian team management is expected to name a replacement for the New Zealand series, sources suggest it is unlikely that Shubman Gill — who was omitted from India’s T20 World Cup squad — will be considered as a replacement.

Tilak’s injury comes as a major blow to India ahead of the T20 World Cup as the southpaw has been an integral part of the T20I setup over the past one year. He played a pivotal role in India’s Asia Cup 2025 triumph, with a match-winning 69* (53) in the final against Pakistan in the final.

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