Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra, who loves to share his thoughts on world cricket, has offered the BCCI a suggestion. After Tilak Varma’s emergency surgery after a Vijay Hazare Trophy match, there has been a certain uncertainty around his spot in the Indian T20I team. Now, Chopra wants none other than Shreyas Iyer to replace Tilak if the southpaw fails to be available for India vs New Zealand T20I series, starting January 21.
With the Hyderabad batter initially expected to miss up to three games, the former India cricketer argued that India need a proven middle-order option, not another opener or a stop-gap experiment. While speaking in a video uploaded on his X channel, Chopra said that Iyer has been playing well and it was unfair of India to ignore him at the Asia Cup as well.
“Who can it be? Shreyas Iyer. ‘Sarpanch’ sahab should be picked automatically. He is already playing well and scored in the Vijay Hazare Trophy too. Even when Iyer was not picked in the Asia Cup, it felt slightly unfair, but it was understandable. But there is an opportunity for a middle-order role here. He is also an experienced player and set the IPL on fire. He fits the bill, and Shreyas Iyer gets my vote.”
Tilak Verma is injured and could even miss out on the T20 World Cup. Who could replace him in the squad? Here are my picks. What’s yours? #cricket pic.twitter.com/ap0CwWYCki
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) January 8, 2026Riyan Parag another option
Chopra also floated Assam’s Riyan Parag as a secondary option, speaking about his ability to contribute with both bat and ball, while keeping Jitesh Sharma as an outside contender. But his core argument remained unchanged. India don’t need openers for this series. So, no chance for Shubman Gill. They need a middle-order batter with experience and recent form. In his view, that’s Iyer, comfortably.
Since then, clarity has arrived on Tilak’s situation. The 23-year-old underwent emergency surgery in Rajkot on January 7 after being diagnosed with testicular torsion. The BCCI confirmed that he is stable, recovering well, and will fly back to Hyderabad to begin rehabilitation. He has officially been ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand, with his availability for the final two matches dependent on his progress.
Shreyas Iyer to replace Tilak Varma for IND vs NZ T20Is? Aakash Chopra has his wishes Inside Sport India.
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