Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: In what comes as an encouraging development for India ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup, India’s dependable batter in T20Is, Tilak Varma, is close to being cleared by the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.Tilak is expected to be cleared after taking part in a simulation match on Friday. The left-handed batter is recovering from abdominal surgery and has been training at the CoE. He was initially expected to join the Indian squad for the final two T20Is against New Zealand, but the team management had asked his replacement, Shreyas Iyer, to remain with the squad. The BCCI has said that Tilak will join the Indian team in Mumbai on February 3, subject to regaining full match fitness, ahead of India’s World Cup warm-up fixture.Fast bowler Mayank Yadav has also regained full bowling fitness after spending nearly a year out with a lower back stress fracture. The 23-year-old is set to make his comeback with India A during the T20 World Cup warm-up matches. Mayank had impressed with his pace during IPL 2024 and earned a T20I call-up, but featured in only two competitive matches in the 2025 season due to the injury. Despite his fitness issues, Lucknow Super Giants retained him for the 2026 IPL season.Riyan Parag, who has been sidelined with a right shoulder injury, is also likely to be cleared after Friday’s simulation match at the CoE.Washington Sundar, meanwhile, is yet to play a simulation game, which is expected to be scheduled soon. The 26-year-old has been out of action since suffering acute discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on January 11. He was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series and the ongoing T20I series.
