NEWS
Follow UsTilak Varma's meteoric ascent within Indian cricket has been nothing short of extraordinary. Following an electrifying run with the bat during IPL 2022, Varma backed it up with another notable season in IPL 2023. He then took it upon himself to deliver a solid debut series against the West Indies, thus far. Over the span of three matches, the southpaw, hailing from Andhra Pradesh, has amassed an impressive 139 runs at an enviable average of 69.50.
“This is neck-and-neck with respect to the World Cup. So, will they think about Tilak Varma as an option if we don’t have enough backups? Because Sanju Samson has performed really well in ODIs. But the exciting part about Tilak Varma is that he is a left-hander and Team India is lacking left-handers. Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) is the only left-handed batter in the top 7,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Recent reports have cast doubt on KL Rahul's availability for both the Asia Cup and the impending World Cup, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the middle-order slot. For the last couple of years, the No.4 and No.5 positions were masterfully managed by the duo of Iyer and Rahul. However, with both grappling with injuries, India find itself ensnared in a rather precarious situation.
“And look at the spinners from all the top teams. Australia have Ashton Agar. England have Moeen Ali and a leggie in Adil Rashid. So, most teams don’t have a finger spinner to challenge the left-handed batters. That is why the emergence of Tilak is crucial.
“It is still early but will they see him as an option? He has at least made everyone notice him. He is surely in the contingency plan. Because any selector who would have seen that knock would have gone, ‘Woah!'” he said.
