What is Tilak Varma’s role? India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav had stated that the number three has been told to consolidate. That’s what the 23-year-old did in the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, scoring 25, 25, 25, and 31. His low strike rate was mentioned several times, but that’s what the management wanted him to do. Take time, ensure wickets aren’t lost, and let others down the order take the onus of scoring quick runs.
The move worked. But in the Super 8 match against South Africa, Tilak ran down the pitch and tried to smack Marco Jansen out of the park on his second delivery. It’s safe to assume that the management told him to go for it while chasing a 188-run target. But is that the right approach?
What should be Tilak Varma’s role?
At this moment, one isn’t sure what Tilak’s identity is. Perhaps even he doesn’t know. One down, he’s told to consolidate, and the other to go hammer and tongs. It’s easier said than done. What should he do? According to former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif, Tilak should follow the Virat Kohli way, i.e., anchor the innings.
“Tilak Varma has his own way of playing. He can afford to play with a slow strike rate. However, he got out while playing a big shot. There was pressure building on him for the strike rate. As a player, you do keep track of what is being said. But it is the job of the management to ask the player to stick to his role. He should play Virat Kohli’s role. He moved away from his gameplay by stepping out and going for a big shot. You’ll never be able to play if you listen to what others are saying,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Much like Kohli, Tilak can hit pace. That means all he has to do is take the onus in the powerplay and the death overs. Tilak needs to bat through the middle phase, where spinners operate. If he does that, India will benefit, as he’s surrounded by hard hitters.
“To become a chase master, you will have to first bat till the 20th over. Tilak Varma got out early, trying to hit. What is your role? Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh play attacking cricket. There should be at least one player who takes the game deep,” he added.
Tilak Varma stats by bowling type in T20 World Cup 2026
| Innings | Runs | Balls | Out | Average | Strike Rate | Dot Balls | 4s | 6s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pace | 5 | 62 | 42 | 3 | 20.66 | 147.61 | 14 | 7 | 2 |
| Spin | 3 | 44 | 47 | 2 | 22 | 93.61 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
