Tilak Varma and Mohammed Siraj to play Vijay Hazare Trophy matches ahead of IND vs NZ 2026 ODIs: Reports

Star India pacer Mohammed Siraj and batter Tilak Varma have been added to Hyderabad’s squad ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand. According to SportStar, the duo is likely to be seen in action against Chandigarh in their upcoming fixture in Rajkot on Saturday, January 3.

Varma will return as skipper, replacing CV Milind in their next two games against Chandigarh and Bengal. Meanwhile, Siraj will be available for three matches, including Hyderabad’s last group-stage match against Jammu and Kashmir.

Siraj previously represented Hyderabad in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, picking up seven wickets in four matches. Meanwhile, Varma has only one game in the domestic season, which came against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. The southpaw has been busy on national duty.

The two players will be a huge boost for Hyderabad as they have failed to win all their first four games in Group B. They are doubtful of a place in the quarterfinal, even if they win their remaining three matches.

Earlier in December 2025, a PTI report (via Hindustan Times) claimed that the BCCI has made it mandatory for centrally contracted players to participate in at least two rounds of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Big guns like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have already played for Delhi and Mumbai, respectively, this season.

All eyes on Mohammed Siraj as India set to announce ODI squad for New Zealand

All eyes will be on Mohammed Siraj as BCCI is set to announce India's ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand, which begins in Baroda on January 11. The speedster didn’t find a place in the recently concluded white-ball series against South Africa and was left out of the 15-member squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

In white-ball formats, Siraj last played against Australia in a three-match ODI series Down Under, where he bagged two wickets in the three-match series as India lost 1-2. Overall, he has scalped 73 wickets in 47 matches at an economy rate of 5.17.

With Bumrah part of the T20 World Cup, he might be rested ahead of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. As a result, Siraj might be recalled for the 50-over series against the Kiwis. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna could be retained in the ODI squad after returning with figures of 4/66 in his last ODI against South Africa.

Edited by James Kuanal