India’s batting lineup has been under scrutiny following their shambolic defeat against South Africa in the Super 8. Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma have been at the centre of critics purely because of their dip in form and disappointing run of performances. While Sharma somehow managed to open his account in the last game after three consecutive ducks, Tilak Varma has mostly played a run-a-ball innings at the global showpiece.
Tilak Varma has been widely criticized by fans and pundits across the nation for his performances. He has failed to live up to the brand name that he has created in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Former Indian international Mohammad Kaif has suggested Tilak Varma to play like Virat Kohli in a video on his YouTube channel.
Kaif said that Tilak should not listen to what others are saying and should stick to his gameplay.
"Tilak Varma has his own way of playing. He can afford to play with a slow strike rate. However, he got out while playing a big shot. There was pressure building on him for the strike rate. As a player, you do keep track of what is being said. But it is the job of the management to ask the player to stick to his role. He should play Virat Kohli's role. He moved away from his gameplay by stepping out and going for a big shot. You'll never be able to play if you listen to what others are saying,"
The Indian cricketing great also urged Tilak to play the role of an anchor because there is a long list of attacking players in the side.
"To become a chase master, you will have to first bat till the 20th over. Tilak Varma got out early, trying to hit. What is your role? Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh play attacking cricket. There should be at least one player who takes the game deep," he added.
