The current situation is tricky for India.
India selected an interesting squad with a few debatable names in every department. For now, most slots are settled in the XI, but the team might have to tinker with a few set combinations after recent selection for the Asia Cup 2025. One of them is finding a No.3.
Tilak Varma asked for a promotion during the South Africa series last year and sealed the No.3 spot with consecutive tons. While batting at this position, he has 443 runs at an average of 55.37 and a strike rate of 169.73 in 13 outings. This includes two fifties and as many centuries.
These numbers are too good to ignore. Still, the current squad selection means Tilak’s place won’t be guaranteed. Or even if he plays based on recent heroics, the No.3 slot will be under threat, again.
While Shubman Gill remains one of the most skilled Indian batters, his inclusion and promotion to vice-captain were surprising on so many levels. Another thing is that the batting unit, which looked settled till the last series, is bound to be rejigged. Now that he has been selected, Gill must play in the XI, especially since he is also Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy.
That means India will be forced to either break the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, which looks likely, or push Gill to No.3 and reshuffle Tilak’s spot. Assuming Suryakumar Yadav will keep the No.4 slot, Tilak might have to bat at No.5. However, that might not be the ideal batting spot for the southpaw.
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In his T20I career, Tilak Varma has played 24 innings, and 87.5% of those have come in the top four. While batting below No.4, he has scored 50 runs in three innings. Even in his overall career, the numbers are better while batting in the top four since last year.
Since 2024, while batting in the top four, Tilak averages 53.88 and strikes at 159.59 in 32 innings, comprising seven fifties and three hundreds. When batting outside these spots, the average falls to 29.50 and the strike rate to 125 in 14 innings, with only a solitary half-century. There’s a reason why he fails when pushed out of those comfort positions.
Tilak’s innings-building method is traditional: he still takes a few balls to settle in before exploding, which works up in the order. Since 2024, he has struck at 130 and played around 36.25% dot balls in the first 10 balls in T20I and IPL. So, when he is asked to bat outside the top four, he has to go harder from the start and bat opposite to his natural game, resulting in failures.
Shivam Dube has been selected specifically for the No.5 role. He has played most of his innings there and understands how to approach an innings better than Tilak. Since 2024, he has 572 runs at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 140.88 in 21 T20 innings, including three fifties.
Even below No.5, Dube has encouraging numbers and will surely be a better option than Tilak. 70.83% of his total innings have been at No.5 or lower, which suggests he has been doing this role more often than Tilak. He has improved his pace game and become less vulnerable against shorter-length deliveries, which will naturally be more in the position he bats.
For instance, he had a strike rate of 123.7 against back-of-length and 134.1 against short deliveries by pacers in 2023. Since 2024, the strike rate has jumped to 131.7 and 170.7 against back-of-length and short balls, respectively. So, if the choice is between Tilak and Dube for No.5, the latter should get the nod.
Abhishek Sharma will likely open, given how well he performed recently and the additional bowling value he provides. Gill must play, and his best comes at the top, where he can weave long innings. That means India must either drop Samson or demote him to No.3, leaving no place for Tilak Varma.
While it might be harsh on Tilak, India should slot Samson at one down. There are multiple reasons to back this call. The most significant is Samson’s superior expertise against pace bowling and off-pace deliveries.
The tracks in the UAE can be slightly slow, and speedsters will roll their fingers more often. Samson has a strong base and can power slower deliveries down the ground or square of the wicket. He has played ample IPL games in Jaipur, where pitches have been tacky at times, and he understands how to adapt to such surfaces.
Additionally, his game against hard lengths and short stuff is better than Tilak’s. In fact, Samson is among the finest pace players from those selected for the Asia Cup 2025. Further, despite having terrific skills against spin, Tilak’s intent against them has been tepid this year, as his strike rate of 121.42 and a balls-per-boundary ratio of 7.63 suggest.
In the UAE, his obvious issues against pace and recent regression against spin can be taxing. If Samson plays, India can also slot Rinku Singh over Jitesh Sharma in the lower order because the former has better skills against speedsters. Tilak has done nothing wrong and deserved to be in the XI, but recent squad selection means Samson adds more value across various aspects.
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