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Double boost for Team India: Tilak Varma set for clearance, Washington Sundar nears return ahead of T20 World Cup
Washington Sundar's return will be key for India as he is the only off-spinner in the T20 World Cup squad.
In a huge boost to the Indian cricket team, Tilak Varma is set to be cleared by the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. The Indian batter is set to be cleared and featured in a simulation match on Friday. He is currently recovering from an abdominal surgery and is training at the CoE. According to a TOI report, he was expected to join the Indian squad for the fourth and fifth T20Is vs New Zealand, and Shreyas Iyer was roped in as his replacement in the series.
Meanwhile, Washington Sundar is also set to join the squad. According to a report by The Indian Express, Sundar has already resumed batting in training and is also expected to start bowling in the next few days. Sundar suffered a slight fracture, and it is healing as expected.
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According to the TOI report, Tilak will join the Indian team in Mumbai on February 3, depending on reaching full match fitness.
The Indian team are set to meet in Mumbai after the five-match T20I series, for two warm-up matches ahead of the T20 World Cup. The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7, with India facing the USA on the opening day. It is not yet confirmed if Sundar will be fit for the USA or India's second fixture against Namibia. But the team management expected him to play a key role in the latter stages of the World Cup.
After the Namibia game, India's third World Cup fixture is against Pakistan on February 15, followed by their final group-stage game against the Netherlands on February 18.
Sundar's return will be key as he is the only off-spinner in the T20 World Cup squad. This is the main reason why the team management has backed him, even if he is not fully fit yet. Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav will be required for the middle overs, and Sundar will be needed in the Powerplay and it will be advantageous if the pitches start to get slower.
