New Delhi: Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has backed Tilak Varma to replace Virat Kohli at no.3 for in ODIs. Kohli has been a pillar at no.3 for India in the fifty-over format for more than a decade now and has evolved into one of the greatest batters of the generation while batting at the position.
He has been one of the most consistent performers for India in ODIs and recently became only the second batter after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to complete 15,000 runs in the format. Kohli recently hinted that the 2027 ODI World Cup is set to be his last for India.
His departure is set to leave a huge void for Team India, and Jaffer believes Tilak might be the perfect replacement for Kohli at no.3 position. Praising Tilak’s versatility, Jaffer said the left-hander can be an ideal replacement for Kohli for India in ODIs.
“It feels great to see his versatility. He previously scored a century at No. 3, and now he has adapted to the No. 5 and No. 6 positions so beautifully. This is an amazing quality,” Jaffer said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“It’s about time. When Virat and Rohit leave, Rohit, obviously, is a top-order batter, and Yashasvi Jaiswal is there to replace him, but I feel there will be a left-handed batter in Virat’s place. He has that game; we saw the way he scored runs in the Duleep Trophy. His first-class average is around 55. So, he can fit into all three formats pretty easily,” he added.
Tilak starred with the bat for India in the Asian Games 2026 final against Pakistan on Saturday. The left-hander walked out to bat at no.6 and scored an unbeaten 51 to help India post a strong total of 211 runs on the board. India went on to win the game by 19 runs to clinch the gold medal at the Asian Games. While he has become a regular in T20Is, Tilak has only played five ODIs for India and has 68 runs to his name.
Virat Kohli continues to shine for India
Meanwhile, Kohli continues to shine for India in ODIs and has been racking up great knocks one after another in the lead-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup. Kohli suffered a rare failure in the 3rd ODI against West Indies on Saturday, but he finished the series with 168 runs in 3 matches, including an unbeaten ton in the 1st ODI.