Team India doesn’t drop vice-captains often. But they do when performance makes them liabilities. Just ask Shubman Gill. Or Rishabh Pant. Or even Axar Patel. All three have worn leadership tags at various points and all three have discovered that you need to continue performing, especially when you lead or deputise for your nation.
Which is why Tilak Varma’s newly earned vice-captaincy should not be mistaken for long-term security. Not when India’s batting depth is absurd. India’s best middle-order batter, Rajat Patidar, is not even near in the scheme of things. 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is smashing every door that comes in front of him and fans are making all the noises to force India into the playing XI.
Countdown begins against Tilak Varma
That reality is slowly beginning to stare Tilak Varma in the face. The left-hander remains one of India’s most gifted white-ball batters and has just been elevated to vice-captaincy under Shreyas Iyer. Yet, we still don’t know where exactly Tilak fits into this batting order.
His recent knocks just scream mediocrity. Under Gautam Gambhir, the Indian batting group has set such high standards that it is quite impossible to sustain the zenith always. However, Tilak’s form has been lingering in a subpar region. In the first T20I, his 19 off 21 balls against Ireland in Belfast wasn’t the reason India lost. The problem was that it looked familiar. Ireland squeezed the middle overs with spin and slowed the pace of the game, and Tilak once again struggled to impose himself. In the very next game, he did score a fifty, but it was one of the slowest – the slowest since the T20 World Cup 2024.
Tilak’s spin worries have become a pattern. Since the start of 2025, Tilak has struck at just 118.16 against spin while taking 8.46 deliveries to find a boundary. Those numbers are difficult to overlook, especially for an Indian middle-order batter.
Tilak Varma’s strike rate against spin since 2025
| Bowling Type | Strike Rate |
|---|---|
| Left-arm orthodox | 147.3 |
| Off-spin | 127.6 |
| Leg-spin | 103.9 |
Just look at his numbers against leg-spin. Opposition teams have noticed it too. Nine of Tilak’s 13 dismissals against spin since last year have come against deliveries outside the off stump. The blueprint is no secret anymore. Bowlers keep dragging him into that channel because they know he isn’t consistently finding scoring options there.
The problem was visible throughout the T20 World Cup as well. India moved him down the order midway through the tournament because innings kept stalling whenever spinners entered the attack.
India may need a different role for Tilak or a different batting order altogether
Although Tilak’s overall T20 record remains excellent, his numbers across batting positions show a player who can contribute almost anywhere.
Tilak Varma in T20s by batting position
| Position | Inns | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Balls per Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 2 | 2 | 57 | 57.00 | 167.64 | 4.86 |
| No. 3 | 58 | 2,023 | 44.95 | 145.64 | 5.34 |
| No. 4 | 41 | 1,371 | 41.54 | 143.56 | 5.55 |
| No. 5 | 40 | 1123 | 37.43 | 136.28 | 6.05 |
| No. 6 | 7 | 100 | 33.33 | 200.00 | 3.85 |
| No. 7 | 3 | 58 | 19.33 | 207.14 | 3.50 |
Tilak has always looked far more dangerous when pace is on offer. Against fast bowling since 2025, he strikes at over 153 and possesses one of the strongest boundary-hitting games among India’s left-handers. His range behind square and ability to scoop, ramp and manufacture angles make him a great option against seamers. If India need to include him in the side, they might have to move him below.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is coming and India have options
The tricky part isn’t only how Tilak’s been playing. It’s who’s coming up behind him. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi isn’t just waiting for his chance anymore; he’s basically already in the room. After a wild IPL run with 776 runs at a 237+ strike rate, the 15-year-old went and smashed the fastest List-A fifty ever.
There were huge reports that India would hand him his debut cap in the Ireland series. But the management persisted with trusted openers who won them the T20 World Cup 2026. Tilak has the same leeway as well. He played a couple of vital innings, coming as a finisher in the later stages of the marquee tournament.
However, India would now either try to make room for the Mumbai Indians batter down the order or bring in a six-hitting machine like Sooryavanshi. You can always make Sanju Samson number three or wait for any opener to lose his form. There’s Rajat Patidar who should be ideally in the conversation. He is anti-Tilak in terms of playing against spin. The RCB captain boasts an overall IPL strike rate of 175.24 against spinners since 2022. He enjoyed a legendary campaign against spin, scoring 182 runs off 81 balls at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 224.69 and an astronomical average of 91.00
A top order featuring Abhishek Sharma and Sooryavanshi as openers, with Samson at No. 3, looks plausible. In that setup, Tilak could either shift into a finishing role or find himself fighting for a place. Ishan Kishan, meanwhile, can be a floater to up the scoring rate whenever and wherever.
For now, Tilak still has the backing of the team management. He has earned that trust through years of performances. But if Tilak’s numbers don’t improve in the upcoming England series, we might see another vice-captain get punished over bad form.
