Tilak Varma, India’s wild card entry for World Cup 2023? Captain Rohit Sharma responds to burning question

It’s been just three matches in international cricket and everyone has Tilak Varma’s name on their lips. The 20-year-old Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians left-hander has left everyone in the cricket circuit talking about him with his intent, maturity and temperament in the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies. So much so that everyone wants him to be in India’s World Cup squad, even without much prior experience in the ODIs.

Several cricketers including R Ashwin, Wasim Jaffer and Pragyan Ojha have backed Tilak to make it to the World Cup squad because of his left-handedness, in addition to clouds over Shreyas Iyuer’s participation in the tournament as he is yet to recover fully from his injury.

Now the Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who has played alongside Tilak for a couple of years in the IPL has responded to the burning question – ‘Can Tilak get selected in the World Cup squad for India?’ Rohit did beat around the bush a little bit but admitted that he is quite mature for his age and he knows his game, his batting and what he wants to do.

Speaking at a LaLiga event on Thursday, August 10, Roihit said, “He looks very promising. I have seen him for two years now, he has got the hunger, and that is the most important thing.

“In him I can see, for the age that he is of, he is quite matured. He knows his batting so well. When I speak with him I understand that the boy knows his batting – where he has to hit, what he has to do in that period.

“That is all that I will say about him, I do not know about the World Cup and all, but definitely the guy is talented and he showed it in these few games that he has played for India,” the captain further added.

Tilak has five more T20I games (two against the West Indies and three against Ireland) to showcase his skills further before the picture gets clearer on Shreyas Iyer. It is unlikely that Tilak will get into the squad at this point, but never say never.

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