Former India batsman Mohammed Kaif told Tilak Varma to play Virat Kohli’s role in T20Is as the Southpaw continues to fight in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Tilak’s approach was more of an anchor in the ICC event as he scored 107 runs in five matches with a strike rate of 118. However, during the South Africa Super 8 clash, the Indian batsman tried to improve his batting and failed.
Tilak tried to cut to Marc Jansen and finished the ball straight to Quinton de Kock. He was criticized by Sunil Gavaskar for his approach in the match and Kaif repeated the same comments on his YouTube channel. The former cricketer said the team management should tell Tilak to stick to his role as the anchor of the team.
“Tilak Varma has his own way of playing. He can afford to play with a slow strike rate. But he got out when playing a big shot. There was pressure on him for the strike rate. As a player you have an awareness of what is being said. But the management’s job is to ask the player to stick to his role. He should play Virat Kohli’s role. If you move away from his game and you can’t play.” listen to what others are saying,” Kaif said.
‘LOOK FOR GAME’
Kaif also pointed out that India have plenty of options to attack so it is vital for Tilak to anchor the innings and take them deep.
“To be a chase master, you have to bat first till the 20th over. Tilak Varma got out early and tried to hit. What is your role? Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh play attacking cricket. There should be at least one player who takes the game,” Kaif said.
Tilak is expected to be in action during India’s must-win clash against Zimbabwe in Chennai on Thursday, February 26.
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Published on:
February 24, 2026
