ICC World Cup 2023: Tilak Varma To Replace Injured Shreyas Iyer In India's World Cup Squad, Chief Selector Drops Massive Hints

It has taken Tilak Varma just three games in international cricket to show his class and ability. The highly-rated batsman earned his maiden call-up for Team India in the ongoing T20I series against West Indies and has hit the ground running.

After three games, he is the leading run-scorer of the series ahead of the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, and other stars. He has scored 139 runs at an average of 69.50 and a strike rate of 139 in the series so far. Tilak Varma opened his account in international cricket in style as he smashed two back-to-back sixes and was the top-scorer for India on his debut as he scored 39.

In the second game too, he was India’s highest scorer as he played a sublime knock of 51 runs. And in the third T20I, he showed his remarkable maturity by bailing the team out of trouble and guiding them to a win in the do-or-die clash. The 20-year-old remained unbeaten on 49 as India thrashed West Indies by seven wickets to keep the five-match series alive.

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MSK Prasad praises Tilak Varma:

With Tilak Varma further enhancing his reputation as one of the most talented youngsters in the country, former India wicketkeeper and chief selector MSK Prasad believes the southpaw is ready to play the ODI format too. With Shreyas Iyer currently sidelined with a back injury, Prasad reckons Tilak Varma will be a good addition if the middle-order batsman fails to recover soon.

Prasad highlighted the young batsman’s stunning List A record and his impressive conversion rate. The left-handed batsman has scored 1236 runs in 25 List A innings at an excellent average of 56.18 and an impressive strike rate of 101.64. He has scored five centuries and as many fifties with a top score of 156 not out. In those 25 List A innings, Tilak Varma has also hit as many as 48 sixes.

“Look at his List A record for Hyderabad. He has played 25 List A games and has an average of 55 plus. Five hundreds and five half-centuries. It means at least 50 per cent times he is converting fifties into hundreds. A strike rate of 100 plus,” Prasad told PTI.

“I think it won’t be a bad idea provided Shreyas (Iyer) can’t make it. Only then you can think of Varma. But I am sure he will be a white ball regular for India across formats going forward,” he added.

Tilak Varma will be looking to finish the series on a high by performing well in the remaining two games. With the Asia Cup squad yet to be announced, he could earn a call-up if Iyer indeed fails to recover in time.