Tilak Varma Undergoes Emergency Surgery

India batter Tilak Varma has undergone emergency surgery in Rajkot and is likely to miss the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, sources told IANS on Thursday. The 23-year-old complained of severe abdominal pain on Wednesday morning and was rushed to hospital, where scans confirmed the need for immediate surgery.

Following consultations with the Board of Control for Cricket in India medical team, Varma was successfully operated on and is reported to be recovering well. Doctors indicated that recovery from such procedures can take up to a month, putting his participation in the New Zealand series—and potentially the T20 World Cup starting February 7—in doubt.

Varma has been a key part of India’s T20I setup, scoring 1,183 runs in 37 innings at an impressive average of 49.29. The BCCI is yet to announce a replacement for the New Zealand series, which begins on January 21 in Nagpur.