India, Jan. 8 -- There's been a hitch in India's T20I plans with batter Tilak Varma ruled out of at least the first three games of the five-match series against New Zealand starting on January 21 after undergoing emergency abdominal surgery on Wednesday.

"India batter Tilak Varma underwent surgery for an abdominal issue in Rajkot on Wednesday. He was discharged from the hospital on Thursday morning and is scheduled to fly back to Hyderabad on Friday. He is currently stable and progressing well," a BCCI statement said on Thursday.

"Tilak will resume physical training and gradually return to skill-based activities once his symptoms have fully resolved and wound healing is satisfactory. He is ruled out of the first three T20Is against New ...