India, which has announced a similar squad for the 5-match T20Is against New Zealand and the forthcoming T20 World Cup at home, now has to make changes for the first 3 T20Is against New Zealand. Selectors confirmed the place of Shreyas Iyer in T20I squad as a replacement for Tilak Varma, who misses out as he is recovering from testicular surgery. Injury to India’s next T20I star in the making allows Shreyas Iyer’s T20I comeback. Iyer last played in the T20i format at the highest level against Australia in December 2023 at Bengaluru.
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Shreyas Iyer – Perfect No.3 Solution for Injured Tilak Varma
It is no surprise to see Shreyas Iyer in T20I squad, as he has consistently performed in the IPL over the last few years. He guided Kolkata Knight Riders to their third title and took Punjab Kings into the final for the second time in IPL history. Not only did he have a major influence with the bat, but he even shone as a skipper, pushing others beyond their limits. He proved that ₹26.75 crore was worth investing in him.
Related Article：How Shreyas Iyer’s Injury List Became India’s Biggest Headache?
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Fans have expressed disappointment with not including him in the Asia Cup 2025 T20 squad, which India won in a nail-biting final against arch-rivals Pakistan at Dubai. With Tilak Varma ruled out for the first 3 T20Is against New Zealand, this provides an opportunity for Shreyas Iyer’s T20I comeback. Shreyas Iyer is going to be a perfect replacement for Tilak Varma, as both are tailor-made for any kind of situation and offers similar role as floaters.
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But for now, Tilak Varma has progressed rapidly at the No.3 spot for India; Shreyas Iyer will emerge as a solution for the vacant spot. With Ishan Kishan already named in the squad, it remains to be seen who the selectors turn to in the starting XI.
Going with his IPL numbers from the last 2 seasons, 604 runs (2025) and 351 (2024), Shreyas Iyer was considered an automatic pick into India’s T20I squad. Too much competition within the batting setup proved to be a tough call for Iyer’s consistent ignorance. Now everything has aligned perfectly for Shreyas Iyer’s T20I comeback after more than 2 years.
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The Indian T20I side requires someone to build the innings at No.3, just the way Tilak Varma did in the recent past. Shreyas Iyer has an aggressive batting approach and, at the same tim,e can play the anchor role. Strong against spin and even good at countering pace, Shreyas Iyer can do wonders with the bat if he gets the opportunity in the starting XI.
Shreyas Iyer in T20I squad makes sense as he is the right replacement for Tilak Varma. The latter is expected to recover for the last 2 T20Is; if he doesn’t, Shreyas Iyer might even get picked for the T20 World Cup, which commences next month. He saw modest numbers in the preceding ODI series against New Zealand, just making 60 runs across 3 innings. The 31-year-old Mumbai batter has represented India in 51 T20Is, gathering 1104 runs at an average of 30.66 with a strike rate of 136.12. He has 8 half-centuries to his name, with the highest score being 74* in the format. The stage is perfectly set for Shreyas Iyer’s T20I comeback, and we have to wait to see how he goes about his business against New Zealand in the T20Is, which begin on January 21st at Nagpur.
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Ravi Bishnoi Replaces Injured Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar, who picked up a side strain while bowling in the 1st ODI against New Zealand at Vadodara, has been replaced by Ravi Bishnoi for the entire 5-match series.
India’s Updated T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi.
