On August 8 in Guyana, India overcame a 0-2 deficit to defeat West Indies in the third T20I of the five-match series by a margin of seven wickets. Tilak Varma, who made his India debut in this series, maintained his form and got his third consecutive thirty-plus score while unbeaten at 49 in India’s convincing seven-wicket victory.
Recently, Pragyan Ojha tweeted that Varma should be quickly promoted to the No. 4 place for India in ODIs. Former India opener Aakash Chopra agreed with Ojha, but added that there is another factor to consider.
“In general, we often overlook those who are not present. Around the No. 4 spot, there has been ongoing discussion about this. We discussed it even throughout the ODI series. Three different batters were seen at that position; Axar Patel was also tried there even though he wasn’t a candidate. Right then, we were still talking about Shreyas Iyer or KL Rahul. I believe Tilak must wait until they return. Chopra stated on Jio Cinema, “But at this time, if we don’t see them, then why not, Tilak can be tried.
In agreement with them and Ojha, Chopra’s fellow pannellist RP Singh said that Tilak Varma is a suitable option for the pivotal place in the lineup due to his “profound understanding” of the game. Varma’s capacity for measured risk-taking and fearless play was highlighted by Singh.
“He has checked off every box, and his fearless attitude from the first ball on is what makes his hitting so spectacular. He considers where to position the ball rather than just swinging for the pleasure of swinging. He can take calculated risks because of his deep knowledge of the game, especially its tempo and rhythm, Singh added.
“I feel like he is prepared, with his performances in the domestic circuit and IPL, all of that is in his head that he has played such good innings, but when you play a match at the international level you need to prepare well knowing which bowlers are there and to which bowler will you be hitting those big shots,” he continued.