Kris Srikkanth has said that India shouldn’t be looking to include Tilak Varma in the starting lineup for the World Cup and ideally look at grooming the youngster for the next edition of the ICC tournament.
Tilak, was a surprise pick in India’s 17-man squad, as the Mumbai Indians star hadn’t played ODI cricket yet. Tilak made his international debut in the tour of West Indies in August and made an instant impact.
The southpaw showed incredible composure during the series in the Carribean. Tilak’s maturity shone through in the T20I series against the West Indies where he scored 173 runs in five matches, averaging 57.66 with a strike rate of around 139. His performance included a half-century, demonstrating his ability to perform under pressure.
Many have hailed the call to have the young batter in the squad for the Asia Cup and have also called for his inclusion in the team for the upcoming World Cup. However, Srikkanth has called for patience with the youngster.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former selector said that they shouldn’t be looking to give him a debut in a big tournament and let him first gain experience by playing a few ODI series. Srikkanth went on to say that Tilak has fantastic potential but went on to claim that the team management should look to groom the young batter till the next World Cup.
“Tilak Varma, the point that I’m making was also conveyed by Ganguly. Don’t give him a debut in a big tournament. First, let him play a few ODI series. Ganguly also had the same point of view.”
“Tilak Varma has fantastic potential. Tilak Varma is a brilliant player. But don’t let him be in the playing lineup for the World Cup. Let him play in a few ODI series and then the upcoming T20 World Cup and groom him till the next ODI World Cup. There is something called grooming a youngster.”
