Can Tilak Varma be expedited as No. 4 batter for India in ODIs? Experts have this to say

Emerging India cricketer Tilak Varma on Tuesday (August 8) scored an unbeaten 49 to help Men in Blue defeat West Indies by 7 wickets in the 3rd T20I to keep the hopes of the Hardik Pandya-led side alive in the five-match tournament.

The talented batter from Hyderabad slammed his maiden T20I fifty in the second T20I against the Windies, which also happened to be the 20-year-old cricketer's second international appearance. India vs West Indies: Tilak Varma's Father Explains How Coach Salam Played Big Role in Youngster's Career

Tilak Varma International Runs In Each Innings

1st T20I: 39 off 22 balls - India lost by 4 runs

2nd T20I: 51 off 41 balls - India lost by 2 wickets

3rd T20I: 49* off 37 balls - India won by 7 wickets

Continuing his fine form with the bat, the promising left-handed batter - who made his India debut in the ongoing T20I series - scored his third consecutive thirty-plus score and proved his mettle. The southpaw came in to bat at number four in all three games. 'Selfish Hardik Pandya!' fans react on Twitter for not letting Tilak Varma score maiden half century

Impressed with his maturity, Tilak showed on tricky pitches in Tarouba and Providence, former India cricketer Pragyan Ojha backed the young Mumbai Indians batter to be groomed as the next No. 4 batter for Team India in the white-ball format. Tilak Varma taken aback after South Africa star congratulates him on India debut

Ojha recently wrote on X, formerly known as X, that Varma should be fast-tracked into the No. 4 spot for Team India in ODIs. His fellow expert on JioCinema and former India teammate, Aakash Chopra agreed to Ojha's opinion but stated there is another aspect to it.

The former India opener claimed that once KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are fit, they will be the natural contenders for the No. 4 slot in the ODIs for Team India. However, he went on to suggest that till the time Rahul and Iyer are unavailable, the team management should look to give Varma ample chances.

Chopra said on Jio Cinema, "Generally, we tend to forget people who are not there. This has been a continuous debate happening around the No. 4 position. We even talked about it during the ODI series. We saw three different batters at that position, Axar Patel was also tried at that position, even though he wasn't a candidate for that position.

At that time, we were still discussing Shreyas Iyer or KL Rahul, right? When they are back, I think Tilak must wait. But at this point in time, if we don't see them, then why not, Tilak can be tried."

Agreeing with Chopra and Ojha, another Jiocinema expert RP Singh expressed his concurrence and said, "He has admirably checked off all the requirements, and what stands out the most about his batting is his bold attitude from the very beginning. He doesn't swing aimlessly; instead, he carefully assesses where to position the ball."

RP Singh further stated, "His profound understanding of the game, including its pace and rhythm, enables him to take calculated risks. I feel he is prepared, with his performances in the domestic circuit and IPL.

All of that is in his head that he has played such good innings but when you play a match at the international level you need to prepare well knowing which bowlers are there and to which bowler will you be hitting those big shots."

The 4th T20I of India's Tour of the West Indies will be played on August 12 at 8:00 PM at Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Lauderhill, USA. The match can be watched LIVE on JioCinema.