Indian batter Tilak Varma suffered an injury scare during the third T20I against New Zealand in Wellington on Tuesday after his left knee appeared to get stuck in the turf while stopping the ball. He walked off the field with the team physio, while wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra replaced him as a substitute fielder.

India won the toss and elected to bowl first. The visitors retained their playing XI, while New Zealand made three changes, bringing in Kyle Jamieson, Matthew Fisher and Adam Milne in place of Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry and Nathan Smith. Arshdeep Singh struck early to give India the first breakthrough.

Tilak Varma Walks Off After Knee Injury Scare Against New Zealand

The incident occurred on the second delivery of the third over. Finn Allen punched a good-length delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar towards extra cover and set off for a quick single. Tilak Varma slid to stop the ball, but his left knee appeared to get stuck in the ground as he attempted a throw at the bowler’s end.

Varma missed the stumps, but Allen made his ground safely. Replays indicated that even a direct hit would not have been enough to run the New Zealand opener out. Varma then walked off the field after speaking with the team physiotherapist, and Kumar Kushagra came on as his substitute.

The incident raised concerns for India, although the initial signs did not suggest a serious injury. Kushagra got his first opportunity to take the field as a substitute during the tour.

Arshdeep Singh Dismisses Tim Seifert as India Strike Early

Bhuvneshwar Kumar found swing and seam movement in the opening over. Arshdeep Singh then struck on the second delivery of his spell to dismiss Tim Seifert for two runs.

Seifert attempted to clear his front leg and hit a swinging delivery across the line but managed only a top edge. Axar Patel ran in from backward point, settled underneath the ball and completed the catch despite windy conditions.

New Zealand responded well after losing Seifert, however, and reached 58/1 at the end of the powerplay. Mitchell started cautiously before hitting three fours and a six to move to an unbeaten 24 off 14 balls. Finn Allen also scored 24, facing 16 deliveries, as the hosts recovered from the early setback.

Tilak Varma's Performance in the First Two T20Is

Tilak Varma scored six runs off 11 balls in the first T20I in Christchurch on October 22. Batting at No. 3, he struggled to find his rhythm and failed to hit a boundary. However, India chased down a target of 225 to win by four wickets, with the team's other batters making up for his quiet outing.

Tilak produced a strong response in the second T20I on October 24. Coming in at No. 6 with India struggling at 70/5 while chasing 181, he scored an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls, hitting six fours and one six at a strike rate of 196.15. His innings earned him the Player of the Match award.

Tilak also shared an unbroken 69-run partnership off just 30 balls with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who remained unbeaten on 26. The pair guided India to victory with one ball to spare, completing a recovery after the early loss of wickets.

Besides his batting performance, Tilak took two important catches in the second T20I. He reached 26 catches in 2026, setting a record for the most catches by a fielder in men's T20 internationals in a single calendar year.