"If Tilak Varma Is Hot...": Ex Indian Cricket Team Coach Ravi Shastri's Suggestion On Side's Middle-order Troubles

When Ravi Shastri was the coach of the Indian cricket team, the side came close but could not win any ICC title. The side, however, made tremendous progress in Test format winning series in Australia. Fitness and giving important to a great pace attack were two of the main focusses when Shastri and former captain Virat Kohli was at the helm of the Indian cricket team. As the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team gears up for the Asia Cup and World Cup, one spot which is bothering the team combination is the middle-former, which is far from settled.   

Shastri feels three left-hand batters in the top seven will bolster India's middle-order ahead of the Asia Cup and subsequent ODI World Cup at home. Shastri said India can have two more left-handed batters alongside all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

"There are three other positions where I think two left-handers have to come in. Now, this is where the selectors' role comes in because they are watching. They know who's the guy who's hot. If Tilak Varma is hot, bring him in. If you think (Yashasvi) Jaiswal is hot, bring him in," Shastri told Star Sports.

Two right-handers, K L Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, are expected to make a comeback from injury in the Asia Cup beginning August 31, making it tougher for the management to include three left-handers in the playing eleven.

Shastri also backed Ishan Kishan to come good.

"If you have persisted with Ishan Kishan for the last six to eight months, and he's going to keep wickets, he comes in, in any case. But, get two left-handers," he said.

"Including Jaddu, there should be three left-handers in the top seven. Ishan Kishan has been keeping for the last 15 months. Why go somewhere else?" The former India captain also heaped praise on Tilak Varma, who made a successful start to his international career in the West Indies.

"(I am) very, very impressed with Tilak Varma. And, I want a left-hander. If I am looking for a left-hander, I would really look in that direction," he concluded.

With PTI inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

Ravi Shastri Tilak Varma Ravindra Jadeja India Cricket Team Asia Cup 2023 World Cup 2023 Cricket