Finding a long-term replacement for Virat Kohli in Indian cricket will be a difficult task, especially in ODIs where the former India captain has been a mainstay for more than a decade. Kohli recently added another milestone to his illustrious career by scoring his 55th ODI century against West Indies and becoming the first Indian batter to cross 15,000 runs in the format.
With Kohli having already retired from Tests and T20Is and now focusing only on ODIs, India will eventually have to find a successor at the crucial No. 3 position. Former India opener Wasim Jaffer believes Tilak Varma could be one of the leading contenders for the role.
Jaffer feels Tilak has the batting ability and versatility to eventually take over Kohli’s position in the ODI side. He also believes having a left-hander at No. 3 could give India’s middle order a different dimension.
Wasim Jaffer impressed by Tilak Varma’s versatility
Tilak has already shown that he can bat in different positions according to the team’s requirements. While he has previously batted at No. 3 and even scored a century in the position, the youngster has also adapted well to batting at No. 5 and No. 6.
Jaffer was particularly impressed by the way Tilak has handled these changes in the batting order.
“It feels great to see his versatility. He previously scored a century at No. 3, and now he has adapted to the No. 5 and No. 6 positions so beautifully. This is an amazing quality,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
The former opener also discussed India’s top-order plans for the period after Rohit Sharma and Kohli eventually move on from international cricket. While he sees Yashasvi Jaiswal as a potential option to replace Rohit at the top, Jaffer believes Tilak could provide a left-handed option at No. 3.
“It’s about time. When Virat and Rohit leave, Rohit, obviously, is a top-order batter, and Yashasvi Jaiswal is there to replace him, but I feel there will be a left-handed batter in Virat’s place,” he added.
Jaffer backs Tilak to succeed in all three formats
Tilak’s credentials are not limited to white-ball cricket. Jaffer pointed towards the youngster’s impressive first-class numbers and his performances in the Duleep Trophy as evidence of his ability to adapt to the longer format as well.
“He has that game; we saw the way he scored runs in the Duleep Trophy. His first-class average is around 55. So, he can fit into all three formats pretty easily,” Jaffer said.
The 23-year-old has continued to strengthen his position in India’s white-ball setup. He played a key role during India’s gold-medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games 2026, producing a memorable performance in the final against Pakistan.
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Tilak smashed an unbeaten 51 off just 22 balls in the gold-medal clash, helping India post 211/6 before they defeated Pakistan by 19 runs. He also served as India’s vice-captain during the tournament.
His performances in domestic cricket, the IPL for Mumbai Indians, and international cricket have further enhanced his reputation. Tilak has also been entrusted with leadership responsibilities after being named India’s T20I vice-captain, and the left-hander is increasingly being viewed as one of the players who could form the core of India’s next generation.
