Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has shared his disappointment regarding Tilak Varma’s form in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Varma scored 31 runs off 27 balls against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
In the first three games of the tournament, the left-hander scored 25 runs in each of the innings. Thus, Varma has been getting off to starts but he hasn’t been able to convert them into substantial scores.
The southpaw has scored 106 runs in four matches of the competition at an average of 26.50 and a mundane strike rate of 120.45.
Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube Channel, “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 it will be easier for South Africa to plan against India’s top-three batters as all of them are left-handers.
The former all-rounder added, “In the next match against South Africa, there will be a few tactical battles. But according to me, the most crucial tactical point concerns 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.”
The 2007 T20 World Cup final hero said Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav should consider promoting himself to number three.
“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 powerplay and deliver at least two overs in one spell. In such situations, the opposition is able to exert control in some sense.”
“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 take on South Africa in their opening game of the Super 8 stage at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Sunday.
