Irfan Pathan makes staggering Virat Kohli's comparison for 2026 T20 World Cup: ‘He has risen his stock exponentially’

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan feels that India has their Virat Kohli replacement for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

The upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup will see a new generation of cricketers take over the mantle for Team India, especially after the T20I retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Suryakumar Yadav will be captaining the side, and one notable absence for the T20 World Cup is Shubman Gill, who was controversially snubbed for the tournament. Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan feels that India has their Kohli replacement for the tournament, pointing out Tilak Varma's presence.

India's Virat Kohli in action. (PTI)

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Irfan highlighted the importance of Tilak to India's tactics and reminded fans of his knock in the 2025 Asia Cup final.

"Tilak Varma has batted at No. 3 and No. 4. He has absorbed pressure and hit hundreds. Tilak also played an outstanding knock against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 final and India wouldn’t have won if not for that innings. In that regard, Tilak has risen his stock exponentially. It’s the kind of role Virat Kohli used to play," he said.

"Kohli is a massive player and whenever there was pressure, he used to absorb it exceptionally well. He didn’t score in the entire T20 World Cup but people trusted him to come good in the final. Kohli played a knock that wasn’t as fiery but given the situation, it was critical.

"You wanted a player to be at the crease and score runs so that the Indian bowlers get that margin to take the game deep. They eventually got it. No doubt, the bowling deserves plenty of credit but that innings from Kohli came at the right time."

Tilak is currently third in the T20I rankings. In 20 games, he has registered 567 runs at 47.25, packed with four half-centuries. He is currently injured and has been ruled out of the first three T20Is of the five-match series vs New Zealand.

Pathan also feels that Tilak is more important to the Indian team than other batters, due to his consistency. "The same way how Tilak Varma played in the final. India had lost three wickets in the powerplay and he backed his gameplan by taking calculated risks. Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube played some high-risk shots as India eventually won the final. If a player like that is not there, Sanju Samson, for instance, he is not a consistent run-getter. He will play fast but may not be consistent," he said.

"Abhishek Sharma plays high-risk cricket and missed out in the Asia Cup 2025 final. Hence, bigger teams will plan better for him and there are higher chances to lose your wicket," he added.