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Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers feels Tilak Varma’s batting position could become one of India’s biggest selection headaches in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, starting on September 13 in Delhi.
With several strong batting options in the squad, India will have to decide where Tilak fits best. The left-handed batter has already played different roles for India and was used at No. 5 in the recent three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe. Earlier, Tilak Varma emerges as Shreyas Iyer’s replacement for 2027 World Cup.
Where will Tilak Varma bat? AB de Villiers raises big question before Afghanistan T20Is
India has plenty of options in the batting department, including Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and the all-rounders. This makes Tilak Varma’s position difficult to fix.
The 23-year-old was used as a floater against Zimbabwe in July. He faced only 43 balls across three matches but still managed 77 runs. AB de Villiers believes that India has to be clear about where Tilak will bat because that decision could affect the whole combination.
AB de Villiers said on his YouTube channel, "There will definitely be some selection issues with regard to the batters. Obviously, Shreyas, captain, Ishan Kishan, Samson, Suryavanshi, and then there are all-rounders, Tilak Varma. I think that's where the balance is quite tricky. Where will he bat?”
AB de Villiers warns India about team balance
The Proteas legend has stressed that India has a very strong squad, but picking the right combination will not be easy. Since T20 cricket allows teams to make changes according to the situation, the RCB icon feels Iyer and the team management can try different combinations.
However, De Villiers believes that the players must know their roles clearly before the upcoming series, as Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous T20I teams in the world.
He further added, “Really, really strong squad, but the balance will be tricky to figure out. It is T20 cricket, so they can play around with the squad a little bit. There are different roles, but the role clarification will still be incredibly important for India, as they are playing quite a dangerous team.”
Tilak Varma’s stunning Duleep Trophy form makes selection tough
Tilak Varma is coming into the Afghanistan T20I series in red-hot form, which might force the team management to keep him in the playing XI.
The South Zone captain has scored 116*, 51*, and 99 in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final. His numbers could make it even harder for India to leave him out or decide where he should bat. Amid this, India-Afghanistan T20I faces security threat, rescheduling demanded by Delhi Police.
AB de Villiers excited for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut India series
The former South African captain is also excited to see how the teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will perform in his first-ever series in India. Vaibhav had a difficult start to his India career but turned things around in the Zimbabwe series.
The left-handed opener had scored 151 runs in three matches at a stunning strike rate of 196.10 and won the Player of the Series award in Zimbabwe.
De Villiers signed off by saying, “Vaibhav Suryavanshi is obviously the big talking point. He's still a teenager, guys, and scoring runs left, right, and center. It looks like he's played international cricket for the last 10-15 years. Sky is the limit for him, and I absolutely cannot wait to watch him perform once again.”
