• Home
  • Writers Opinion
  • Kohlis Successor Why Tilak Varma Can Be Inds Solution For No 3 Spot After Virats Retirement

Kohli's successor: Why Tilak Varma can be IND's solution for no. 3 spot after Virat's retirement

Anurag Dasgupta

Kohli replacement in ODIs [Source: AFP Photo] Kohli replacement in ODIs [Source: AFP Photo]

Every good thing in Cricket comes to an end, and perhaps, the upcoming Australia tour could be the last time the fans will witness Virat Kohli in India’s white-ball jersey. Despite being the best batter of the team for the last 15 years, Kohli’s place has come under scrutiny, not due to his performances, but because the selectors are moving away from him, and Rohit Sharma.

Once the undisputed King of white-ball cricket, Kohli finds himself in the deep Ocean, knowing that even if he performs at his best against Australia, there is no guarantee that he will play in the 2027 World Cup for India. Hence, if he decides to retire post the Australia tour, his replacement at number 3 is already ready.

The team shouldn’t search for his replacement as Tilak Varma is the perfect number 3 to fill in Kohli’s shoes, if he retires. There are so many similarities between the two stars, and if India truly wants a quality player at the tricky number 3, then Tilak is the worthy Kohli successor in ODIs.

What makes Tilak Varma, the Virat Kohli successor

Sometimes, you have to go beyond stats to witness greatness, and Tilak’s knock in the Asia Cup final showcased his untapped potential. What makes Tilak a worthy Kohli replacement?. Is it his stats at number 3?. No, but it is his gameplay that makes him cut from a different cloth.

Virat Kohli is known for his excellent reading of the game, as the batter knows his strength and he backs it beautifully. Kohli believes in dealing in singles and doubles, with occasional boundaries here and there. If he is at the crease, the scoreboard keeps on ticking, and he never lets the opposition rest.

Tilak, at such a young age, has the same skillset. It’s like he is the left-handed version of Kohli, playing with the minds of fielders. A prime example of this skillset was how he maneuvered the field against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final.

The wicket was tricky, and Tilak played with a Kohli-esque technique as he played with the field, and continued to frustrate the Pakistan bowlers. This is what Team India needs at number 3. With Shubman Gill, and most likely Yashasvi Jaiswal (in the future) giving a fiery start, the Men in Blue need an accumulator after them, and who better than Tilak to fill that spot?.

Proven match-winner like Kohli

Apart from his picturesque batting, Kohli was known for having an extreme hunger for runs, and he was known as India’s biggest match-winner across formats. He has won countless games from India, and some even from the jaws of defeat.

In his relatively short career, Tilak has proven his match-winning instincts, with the latest being in the Asia Cup final. India, at one stage, had a required rate of nearly 10, but Tilak kept his calm and steered his team to victory with an unbeaten fifty.

He played a similar knock against the England team at home. In the second T20I, India needed 166 to win the game, and they lost almost half the side as Tilak slammed an unbeaten 72 and won the match from an impossible situation.

The duo have never played with each other, but Tilak and Kohli share so many similarities, and perhaps, instead of searching for the next Kohli after Kohli, India should groom Tilak for the coveted number 3 spot.