Former Cricketer Sandeep Patil Prefers Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav in Team Selection

Sandeep Patil, an esteemed former Indian cricketer and ex-chief selector, has expressed his preferences for the upcoming Asia Cup and Men’s ODI World Cup team selections. Considering the uncertainties surrounding the fitness of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul due to injuries, Patil has voiced his support for including Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav in the squads.

Patil shared his thoughts on the matter during an interaction with Star Sports, affirming his stance. “100 per cent (if India should hand a debut to Tilak Varma?) I will go with Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav. Who will be in the playing XI, can be decided after looking at the balance and the opposition. But Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav will both be in my team.”

He commended Tilak Varma’s performance and the valuable left-handed batting element he brings to the team. Notably, Tilak stood out as the leading run-scorer in his debut T20I series against the West Indies, accumulating 173 runs across five innings with an average of 57.67. Impressively, his List-A record includes an average of 56.18, featuring five centuries and an equal number of fifties from 25 matches.

Ravi Shastri, former head coach of the Indian cricket team, has also voiced his admiration for Tilak Varma’s capabilities. He emphasized the need for a left-hander in the middle order and highlighted Tilak’s potential as a suitable candidate. Shastri pointed to Tilak’s consistent performance for Mumbai Indians and India, his ability to handle pressure, adapt to different situations, and showcase an array of shots.

Considering the current form and exceptional mindset of Tilak Varma, Shastri emphasized his inclination to closely monitor the young talent. Shastri praised Tilak’s shot selection, expansive shot range, and unorthodox approach. He concluded by emphasizing the significance of understanding game situations and exhibiting confidence, underscoring that Tilak Varma ticks all these boxes and merits careful consideration for team selection.

With these insights from seasoned cricket personalities like Sandeep Patil and Ravi Shastri, the selection process for the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup gains an added layer of scrutiny and anticipation.