Tilak Varma and Mayank Yadav included in India A squad for T20 World Cup warm-up games
The news has come from the BCCI and it is exactly what many cricket fans have been waiting for. The Indian team has been assembled for the upcoming friendlies before the start of the Men’s T20 World Cup, and the list of 15 players includes two names that are particularly noteworthy. Tilak Varma and Mayank Yadav included in India A squad for T20 World Cup warm-up games.
Tilak Varma and Mayank Yadav included in India A squad for T20 World Cup warm-up games: return after break
Legendary left-hander Tilak Varma will return to the field after a break due to lower abdominal surgery. He underwent rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bangalore and even managed to play in a Test match. Interestingly, he will only play in one of the two India A matches before joining the senior national team. This careful load management before a tournament speaks for itself: the player is being saved for the big games, but it is also necessary to check his readiness.
Mayank Yadav’s comeback story is no less impressive. The young fast bowler, who burst onto the scene during the IPL 2024, has not been seen in action by fans for over a year. The cause was a stress fracture in his lower back, that required surgery in New Zealand. His final match for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2025 is behind him.
Now Tilak Varma and Mayank Yadav included in India A squad for T20 World Cup warm-up games, and these friendlies will be his first step back into professional cricket. The question of whether he has maintained his phenomenal pace remains open — we’ll see the answer very soon.
Tilak Varma and Mayank Yadav included in India A squad for T20 World Cup warm-up games: lineup and schedule
Ambitious all-rounder Aayush Badoni has been appointed as Team A captain. The squad turned out to be colorful and full of young talents who have already managed to make a name for themselves. There are powerful players like Ashtosh Sharma, the tricky spinner Ravi Bisnoi, and the experienced left-arm bowler Khaleel Ahmed. The list also includes Naman Dhir, Riyan Parag, who is also recovering from a shoulder injury, and a pair of wicketkeepers to choose from – N. Jagadeesan and Urvil Patel.
India A has a busy schedule. On February 2, the team will play against the US team at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. And on February 6, right in Bangalore, on the site of that very Center of Excellence, the match against Namibia will take place. This will be the final test before the start of the World Cup itself, where the defending Indians will begin their journey against the USA on February 7.
This is how they prepare for big victories. Not only through training with the main team, but also through well-thought-out work with the reserves. Tilak Varma and Mayank Yadav included in India A squad for T20 World Cup warm-up games, and for them, it is a real test of strength. A chance to shake off the dust of the competitive rhythm, feel the pressure and prove, most of all to themselves, that they are ready.
For the rest of Team A, this is an opportunity to show themselves and stake their claim on the future. Let’s see how they take advantage of this chance. The India A line-up already suggests that this is going to be an interesting spectacle.
