Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer has batted for young batter Tilak Varma’s inclusion in the ODI side ahead of the Asia Cup and ICC Cricket World Cup later this year. Jaffer said that Varma could be an ideal fit in Team India’s ODI setup if KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer fail to get fit on time ahead of Asia Cup 2023.
“If at all India needs a batter to look at in 50 overs, I would not be surprised if it’s Tilak Varma. The kind of maturity that he has shown, I will be happy to see him coming into the ODI mix also. There are talks that Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are not ready yet. Why not throw in a youngster like Tilak Varma? He has shown a lot of maturity and [gives] that left-hander option. We have been looking for a top-order left-hander. Why not Tilak Varma?,” said Wasim in a video posted by ESPNCricinfo.
Former Indian opener also lauded Tilak Varma for his composure and maturity during his debut series against West Indies.
“In these three innings, there was no one else as mature, consistent and assured in his strokeplay than Tilak Varma. He is very young and for him to come out and bat in certain situations, an absolute delight to see. He came out with the rain coming in and there were talks that it might go to Duckworth-Lewis,” he added.
In his debut series in West Indies, Tilak took on the pressure and played counter attacking innings when India needed. He has been the top scorer in this WI series. He has scored 139 runs in three matches at an average of 69.50, with one half-century and a strike rate of 139.
Also Read: Hardik Pandya bashed after denying Tilak Varma 50 in 3rd WI T20I
‘So nice seeing young guy finish game’
Jaffer showered praises for the 20-year-old cricketer for playing a composed knock alongside Suryakumar Yadav and making sure he stayed till end to finish the game.
“He came out and attacked the first 2-3 balls. It goes on to show how tuned in he is with the team’s demand and the game sense that he has got. That is very refreshing to see. Then how he controlled the innings with Suryakumar Yadav going hammer and tongs from the other end, he played his part so beautifully. He finished the game. It is so nice seeing a young guy finish the game,” Jaffer added.
Tilak has been a brilliant find for MI in last two seasons. In his debut season in 2022, which saw MI finish at the bottom, he scored 397 runs in 14 matches at an average of 36.09, with a strike rate of 131.02. He scored two half-centuries, with best score of 61. In his second season this year with the Blue and Gold side, he scored 343 runs in 11 matches at an average of 42.88 and a strike rate of above 164. He scored one half-century, a gutsy knock of 84* against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
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