Less than two months remaining for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and the Indian cricket team is still struggling with their options. With three of the first-choice players still unavailable due to their respective injuries, the team management has tried a few options including the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson but none of them have really made a place of their own in the side as the waiter for Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul's return continues.
In the two T20Is so far against the West Indies, Tilak Varma has been the only player to give performances of note in an otherwise disappointing series for the Men in Blue and in an out-of-the-box suggestion, veteran Indian all-rounder R Ashwin said that Varma could be an exciting option in the middle-order if the selectors and the team management think about him while comparing him with skipper Rohit Sharma.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, "The emergence of Tilak Varma has made everyone take notice of him. He looked in imperious touch even on that slow pitch in 1st T20I. His batting style is very unlike for an Indian making his international debut. His game resembles a lot like Rohit Sharma. Generally, India batters won't set up to play the pull shot. It is something they develop later. But his game looks like he has a natural pull shot and sends the ball outside the rope like an Aussie batter. Too early to call, but that knock was stupendous.
Ashwin said that Sanju Samson has done really well but the left-handedness of Tilak could really help his chances considering how well he has batted in the two games as per situations.
"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 is the only left-handed batter in the top 7. And look at the off-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 added.
Tilak smashed 39 off 22 on a slow surface in Tarouba in the first T20I while playing a sensible knock of 51 off 41 when the team had lost a few early wickets. The promise is there but it is on the youngster to make it count.
