Tilak Varma in India's middle-order for ODI World Cup? R Ashwin calls for southpaw's inclusion

Ravichandran Ashwin, the esteemed premier off-spinner, has made a fervent appeal to Team India's national selectors and team management, urging them to place their trust in the burgeoning talent of Tilak Varma. Ashwin believes that Varma's addition to the World Cup squad could potentially resolve India's middle-order predicaments, particularly with several batters grappling with injuries.

Former chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad, has also echoed Ashwin's sentiment, expressing his willingness to see Varma as a part of the final 15, should Shreyas Iyer's selection falter.

The 20-year-old stylish southpaw from Hyderabad has captivated cricket enthusiasts with his performances, amassing scores of 39, 50, and an unbeaten 49 in three T20I matches against the West Indies. Varma's ease and adaptability at the international level have been notable.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin remarked, "Will they think about Tilak Varma as an option if we don't have enough backups? The exciting part about Tilak Varma is that he is a left-hander and Team India is lacking left-handers. Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) is the only left-handed batter in the top 7"

With key players like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer racing against time to recover for the 50-over World Cup scheduled to commence on October 5, the backup options of Suryakumar Yadav and Samson have left some uncertainties. While Suryakumar has garnered the trust of the team management as an additional middle-order choice, Samson's performances have faced criticism. If Rahul returns to fitness, Ishan Kishan is poised to be the second-choice wicketkeeper and reserve opener.

Ashwin pointed out that the shortage of quality finger spinners in top teams might work in Varma's favor. "And look at the spinners from all the top teams. Australia have Ashton Agar. England have Moeen Ali and a leggie in Adil Rashid. So, most teams don't have a finger spinner to challenge the left-handed batters. That is why the emergence of Tilak is crucial."

While Ashwin acknowledges the potential challenges of fast-tracking Varma's selection, he believes the young talent deserves a chance, especially considering his remarkable performances in the Caribbean.

"It is still early but will they see him as an option? He has at least made everyone notice him. He is surely in the contingency plan. Because any selector who would have seen that knock would have gone, 'Woah!'" Ashwin expressed.

Prasad, who led the selection panel during the last ODI World Cup, underlines Varma's prowess as an adept ODI player. "Look at his List A record for Hyderabad. He has played 25 List-A games and has an average of 55 plus (56.18). Five hundreds and five half-centuries. It means at least 50 percent times he is converting fifties into hundreds. A strike rate of 100 plus," Prasad told PTI.

"I think it won't be a bad idea provided Shreyas (Iyer) can't make it. Only then you can think of Varma. But I am sure he will be a white ball regular for India across formats going forward," Prasad concluded.

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(With PTI inputs)