Tilak Varma Set for Clearance, Washington Sundar Nears Return Ahead of T20 World Cup

India, Jan 30 : India have received a significant boost ahead of the T20 World Cup, with Tilak Varma set to be cleared by the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and Washington Sundar closing in on a return to competitive action.

Tilak, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, is expected to take part in a simulation match on Friday as part of his final fitness assessment. He has been training at the CoE and is likely to rejoin the Indian squad in Mumbai on February 3, subject to achieving full match readiness.

The left handed batter was earlier in contention to feature in the fourth and fifth T20Is against New Zealand, before Shreyas Iyer was named as his replacement due to the injury.

Sundar resumes training, bowling return imminent

All-rounder Washington Sundar has also made encouraging progress in his recovery. According to reports, he has resumed batting and is expected to begin bowling in the coming days. Sundar had suffered a minor fracture, which is healing as planned.

The Indian squad is scheduled to regroup in Mumbai after the five match T20I series for two warm up fixtures ahead of the World Cup, which begins on February 7. India will open their campaign against the USA, though Sundar’s availability for that match or the following fixture against Namibia remains uncertain.

Key role in World Cup plans

Team management expects Sundar to play a crucial role as the tournament progresses, particularly as he is the only specialist off-spinner in the squad. His presence is seen as vital in the powerplay overs, especially if conditions slow down later in the competition.

India’s group stage schedule includes high profile clashes against Pakistan on February 15 and the Netherlands on February 18. With middle over options such as Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav already in place, a fully fit Sundar would add balance and flexibility to the bowling attack.