Tilak Varma is the new India T20I captain.
The Indian team’s newly appointed T20I vice-captain, Tilak Varma, has received a direct warning from former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif that the southpaw must constantly score runs to remain in the position.
His comments coincide with India's first T20I of the two-match series against Ireland, which is set for Friday, June 26, in Belfast.
With Shreyas Iyer as captain and Tilak as his deputy, the series represents a fresh start for India's T20I system. Tilak cannot feel comfortable in his position simply because he is vice-captain, according to Kaif, who added that a decline in performance could result in his dismissal, as has happened with players with comparable qualifications in the past.
“Tilak Varma is the vice-captain, yes. But vice-captains have been dropped before as well. Being vice-captain doesn't mean Tilak Varma's place in the team is guaranteed. If Tilak starts thinking, ‘I'm the vice-captain; my spot is secure,’ that's simply not how this Indian team works. If he wants to keep playing, he'll have to maintain his form. Even a slight dip in form could see him dropped. Axar Patel was the vice-captain before. You'd remember that. He's no longer the vice-captain. The team has now moved on to Tilak,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Tilak recently captained India A to a tri-series win in Sri Lanka.
Mohammad Kaif observed that in the current period of Indian cricket, no player's position is assured, even the captain's. He also stated that while Tilak Varma may start the series, his spot in the XI is far from guaranteed.
“So, in this Indian team, nobody's place is guaranteed. Not even the captain's. There's no permanent vice-captain either. Everyone has to earn their place. Everyone has to perform in every single match. This is a phase in Indian cricket that we've never seen before. That's the mindset of the coaches and selectors now. Your place in the team is on the line every single match. That's why Tilak Varma may start with this team, but his place in the XI is by no means guaranteed going forward,” Kaif added.
Tilak Varma boasts of a good record of 1390 runs in 49 T20Is at a strike rate of 145.54 with 2 centuries and 6 fifties and the highest score of 120*. He had played a brilliant knock in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai against Pakistan.