Tilak scores 38 and takes a wicket on return from surgery; Mayank Yadav, Riyan Parag make competitive comebacks in T20 World Cup warm-up

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Tilak Varma made an impressive return to competitive cricket as Narayan Jagadeesan’s commanding century and a rapid half-century from captain Ayush Badoni helped India A defeat USA by 38 runs in a T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up match in Navi Mumbai.

Playing his first match after recovering from testicular surgery, Tilak scored a brisk 38 off 24 balls, striking three fours and two sixes to ease any concerns about rustiness ahead of the tournament. He also contributed with the ball, picking up a wicket, as India A defended a massive total of 238 for 3.

The foundation for the win was laid by opener Narayan Jagadeesan, who smashed 104 off 55 balls, an innings laced with 11 fours and five sixes. He shared a rapid 113-run partnership with Tilak in just 9.1 overs after India A lost Priyansh Arya for a 13-ball 28, leaving them 43 for 1 in the fourth over.

USA struggled to contain the scoring, trying as many as nine bowlers, with seven conceding at more than ten runs per over. The pressure only intensified after Tilak’s dismissal in the 14th over, as Badoni took charge. The India A captain remained unbeaten on 60 off 26 balls, with 48 of his runs coming via boundaries. Jagadeesan eventually fell to Ali Khan off the final ball of the 19th over.

In response, USA showed fighting spirit and batted with intent against a strong India A bowling attack featuring Khaleel Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi and Mayank Yadav. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, they reached 200 before being bowled out in 19.4 overs.

Andries Gous provided early momentum with a fluent 44 off 31 balls before becoming Tilak’s wicket. Sanjay Krishnamurthi then injected pace into the middle overs with an explosive 41 off 18 balls, including two fours and four sixes. Late contributions from Shubham Ranjane (28 off 17), Harmeet Singh (25 off 9) and Mohammad Mohsin (21 off 10) ensured USA stayed competitive.

Among the bowlers, Bishnoi was the standout with three wickets, while Khaleel claimed two. Allrounder Naman Dhir picked up the final two wickets in the last over.

The match also marked the return of two other notable players. Fast bowler Mayank Yadav played his first competitive game since May 2025, finishing wicketless and conceding 37 runs in three overs. Riyan Parag, back after a shoulder niggle, had a quiet outing, scoring an unbeaten 2 and conceding 14 runs in his lone over.

Tilak had missed India’s final T20I series before the T20 World Cup—a five-match contest against New Zealand—but his performance in this warm-up will come as a boost as he prepares to link up with the senior squad.