Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has criticized the way Tilak Varma batted for India against the Netherlands in their final group stage game of the T20 World Cup 2026. This game was played on February 18 in Ahmedabad.

In yet another uneven batting display in India's group stages, Tilak struggled to pace his innings on a belter of a pitch in Ahmedabad while batting at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The left-hander's approach seemed more aggressive, but most of his strokes lacked timing. India lost their top three for 69 runs in nine overs when he fell on 31 off 27 deliveries.

Irfan Pathan criticized the Hyderabad batters' scoring rates, claiming that the left-handed top three of an out-of-form Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak could cause problems in the Super 8.

“As far as Tilak’s batting is concerned, I had certain expectations. The way he was batting in Sri Lanka, you could see that he was playing with awareness and responsibility. Ishan Kishan was scoring quickly, so Tilak was batting at around a strike rate of 100 because he did not want to lose his wicket. However, in Ahmedabad, I expected more from Tilak Varma. His strike rate should have been better because the pitch was better. That is something he will need to focus on,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

“In the next match against South Africa, there will be a few tactical battles. But according to me, the most crucial tactical points concern Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma. All three are left-handers. What happens when three left-handers come one after another is that it becomes comparatively easier for the opposition to plan their strategy,” he added.

Pathan recalled how Pakistan's off-spinners' opening move against the Indian hitters in Colombo last Sunday paid off early.

“Take the example of the turning pitch against Pakistan. Salman Ali Agha, who is primarily a batter and only a part-time bowler, was able to bowl two effective overs because there were two left-handers at the crease. Similarly, against the Netherlands, Aryan Dutt was able to bowl well in the power play and deliver at least two overs in one spell. In such situations, the opposition can exert control in some sense,” Pathan highlighted.

Pathan suggested that India needs to break their trio of left-handed top three batters, and captain Suryakumar Yadav should bat at no. 3 in Super 8s.

“If this happens in a big match, especially in a knockout game, it could put India under pressure. Even against South Africa, Aiden Markram could come on to bowl, even though he is not a pure bowler, similar to Aryan Dutt. So from that perspective, would you want to break this left-hand combination? Could Surya bat at number three? Could that be a tactical move? If not against South Africa in Ahmedabad, where the pitch does not grip much, then perhaps at a venue like Sri Lanka, where the ball grips more. Would you consider promoting Suryakumar Yadav up the order and pushing Tilak to number four? Is that something you would want to try? In my opinion, it should be considered,” he added.

India will open its Super 8s stage against South Africa on February 22 in Ahmedabad.