India’s strong T20I squad has given the team management plenty of options, but former South Africa captain AB de Villiers believes it could also create a selection problem.
One of the biggest questions could be around vice-captain Tilak Varma and his batting position.
India have a busy T20 schedule coming up. The team will first take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series before travelling for the Asian Games campaign. India will also play a historic one-off T20I against Japan on September 22, just days before their Asian Games quarter-final.
AB de Villiers questions Tilak Varma’s batting position
With several established batters available, de Villiers feels India could struggle to give Tilak a regular position in the playing XI. The left-hander has been in excellent form in domestic cricket, but fitting him into a settled batting order could be difficult.
“There will definitely be some selection issues with regard to the batters. Obviously, Shreyas captain, Ishan Kishan, Samson, Sooryavanshi, and then there are all-rounders, Tilak Varma; I think that’s where the balance is quite tricky. Where will he bat?”
Tilak has been named India’s vice-captain for the upcoming T20I assignments and is coming into the national setup with strong performances behind him.
India have several batting options
The competition for places is tough, with captain Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi among the batting options. India also have several all-rounders, making the team combination even more difficult to manage.
Since winning the T20 World Cup at home in March, India have had an inconsistent run in the format. Shreyas Iyer’s side lost all six completed matches during their tours of Ireland and England before making a comeback with a 3-0 series win against Zimbabwe.
De Villiers believes India have enough quality in their squad, but the team management must be clear about the role of every player.
‘Role clarification’ will be important
“Really, really strong squad, but the balance will be tricky to figure out. It is T20 cricket, so they can play around with the squad a little bit. There are different roles, but the role clarification will still be incredibly important for India, as they are playing quite a dangerous team,” de Villiers added.
Tilak has also given the selectors another reason to back him after a strong run in the recently concluded Duleep Trophy.
Tilak Varma arrives in strong form
Playing for South Zone, Tilak scored an unbeaten 116 in the semi-final before following it up with unbeaten 51 and 99 in the final. His consistent performances have strengthened his case for a place in India’s T20I team.
However, with multiple players competing for similar batting positions, India will have to decide where Tilak fits best.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir will oversee the team during the Afghanistan series, while VVS Laxman will take charge of the Asian Games squad. With several important assignments lined up, India’s batting combination will be one of the key talking points in the coming weeks.