Former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad has lauded Tilak Varma for his composure and talent and backed him to be an option at the no.4 batting position in Team India for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023.
Tilak Varma made his India T20I debut in West Indies and has impressed one and all with scores of 39, 51 and 49*, becoming the first Indian batter to hit scores of 30-plus in his first three innings in T20Is.
The left-hander from Hyderabad was chosen in the Indian squad against West Indies, Ireland and Asian Games after his brilliant outings in the last two IPL editions in 2022 and 2023, where he clocked more than 300 runs each at a very good strike rate.
He has a good List-A record as well, scoring 1236 runs in 25 matches with 5 centuries and 5 fifties with the best score of 156* at a strike-rate of 101.64.
“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,” MSK Prasad told PTI.
The young 21-year-old has been mightily impressive with the bat and has received praise for his temperament and composure.
MSK Prasad further added that with injury concerns for KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer going into the Asia Cup 2023 and the World Cup, it might not be a bad idea to include Varma in the squad for those showpiece events.
"First of all, we should know whether Shreyas Iyer is fit or not. So, in case, if Shreyas Iyer is ruled out, in the present scenario, one guy who fits the bill is Tilak Varma, because of his versatility, because of his ability to play fast bowling and spin bowling and also because of his ability to switch the gears as and when required. More than anything else, we don't have a left-hander at the top of the order. So all these things will definitely go in favor of Tilak Varma," MSK Prasad said.
Prasad even compared Tilak with legendary Michael Bevan, praising the Hyderabad batter for his ability to rotate strike and switch gears at will.
"That’s the kind of role he can adapt to very quickly. He understands the situation well, he rotates strikes, he is hard to stop from scoring, he can hold the innings together. He is someone like Michael Bevan. If you see his domestic cricket also, it’s close to 55 or 60, his average in one-day format. He has got a pretty bright chance to get into the squad if Shreyas Iyer is found unfit," he added.
Crediting Mumbai Indians for Tilak Varma's incredible rise in the last two years, he added: "I would say he has developed phenomenally in the last two years. He is a phenomenal cricketer, there’s no two ways about it. He played U19 for India. But credit should definitely go to Mumbai Indians for the way they have groomed him.
The amount of opportunities he has got over the last two years, the way MI has shown faith in him, it’s tremendous. A winning team like Mumbai Indians showing faith will obviously boost the confidence of a young cricketer like him.”
Varma will be in action when India plays the last two T20Is against West Indies on August 12 and 13 in Florida, USA.
(PTI inputs)
