India's poor run in T20Is has placed the spotlight firmly on the players and the new leadership group, with captain Shreyas Iyer and vice-captain Tilak Varma yet to inspire a turnaround. The team is still searching for its first win on the UK tour after losing the series to Ireland and falling 0-2 behind against England, who have already secured the series with matches still to play. The slump has come as a surprise for a side that lifted the T20 World Cup just a couple of months ago. Since then, India have undergone significant changes, with Suryakumar Yadav replaced as captain and later left out of the squad, while Axar Patel also lost the vice-captaincy. Those decisions, combined with the team's disappointing results, have only increased the scrutiny and pressure on a side that was recently celebrating a world title.
India's repeated batting failures on the UK tour have also put vice-captain Tilak under the spotlight, with the left-hander struggling to make an impact. Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth did not hold back in his assessment, questioning Tilak's place in the side and suggesting that Sanju Samson would have been a better option.
"He's already the vice captain and it looks like he'll soon become the captain also. Tilak Varma might have himself said he doesn't want to go out, seeing the pace and bounce. Tilak Varma is clueless. I rather play Sanju Samson himself instead of Tilak Varma," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
Since becoming vice-captain, Tilak has managed scores of 19, 55, 13, 24 not out and 3, but has struggled to make a decisive impact. His only notable contribution was a fighting 55 against Ireland, which came in a narrow one-run defeat. Since then, he has failed to build on his starts in England, with knocks of 13, 24 not out and 3 doing little to lift India's struggling batting unit.
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“Trying to shield Tilak Varma”
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“Trying to shield Tilak Varma”
{{/usCountry}}Srikkanth also took aim at India's team management, saying their handling of Tilak Varma sent mixed signals. According to him, if the left-hander is good enough to be vice-captain, he should not be protected from the opposition's fast bowlers.
"You make Tilak Varma your main batter and vice-captain. Yet, why are you shielding him against fast bowling? They are sending Axar Patel ahead of him. It's clear they are trying to shield Tilak Varma because they know he's vulnerable against short-pitched bowling. I've been consistently saying he should be dropped. But they don't drop him," he added.