‘What happened to Ruturaj Gaikwad’: Fans react to Tilak Varma being considered as back-up option in India middle-order for 2027 ODI World Cup originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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India’s team management is reportedly considering Tilak Varma as a backup middle-order option ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.
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Selectors want a left-handed batter capable of bowling four overs, addressing a gap in bowling options up top.
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Fans reacted angrily online, questioning why Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored a century at No. 4, has been overlooked.
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India’s planning for next year’s ODI World Cup has already sparked a fresh wave of debate, with Tilak Varma reportedly emerging as a potential backup option for the middle order.
It is a decision that’s left plenty of fans questioning why Ruturaj Gaikwad seems to have fallen down the pecking order.
According to TOI, Tilak’s name has surfaced as a possible cover option for Shreyas Iyer within the top six. Being a left-hander, he’s seen as someone who can break up the right-hand heavy composition of India’s current batting order.
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He’s also reportedly been asked to sharpen his off-spin bowling, with the team management viewing his part-time overs as useful, particularly given the growing concerns about a lack of bowling depth.
A BCCI source to TOI explained the thinking behind this shift in focus: “Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill feel there isn’t any backup ready for the middle order.
“With Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy being prone to injuries, they want someone in the top order who can at least chip in with four overs in an ODI.”
(getty)
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India’s dependence on Washington Sundar or Axar Patel to balance the side at five or six over the past year has highlighted this gap clearly. During the recent England series, Ishan Kishan was even promoted ahead of vice-captain Iyer, which is another sign of the team searching for solutions.
The source elaborated further on why this planning has been done and thereby pointed to South Africa’s demanding conditions and India’s ageing core.
“The team has to be prepared for conditions in South Africa in the World Cup. Iyer got injured in Australia and his game against pace and bounce is untested of late,” the source said.
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“The team already has two ageing players in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They are having niggles as well. KL Rahul too will be over 35 by the time the World Cup comes around. Ravindra Jadeja isn’t a certainty either. The fielding of the team has suffered due to fitness issues. The team management feels that they need younger backups ready.”
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Interestingly, selectors have reportedly grown wary of playing batters out of position. It is a stance that seems to directly affect Gaikwad’s standing.
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He was previously used at No. 4 last year, and he scored a century against South Africa in Raipur to prove his worth. However, he hasn’t yet featured in the ODI setup since that innings.
The source further explained: “Gaikwad was picked as backup opener since Gill was injured. The team management feels Tilak could have been tried in that place. That’s why they don’t want to rush Devdutt Padikkal in the ODI setup because he found his calling in white-ball cricket while opening the batting.”
For the upcoming West Indies series, though, selectors are said to be prioritising a backup wicketkeeper instead.
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The reaction online has been fiery, with many fans struggling to understand the logic behind overlooking a player who delivered exactly when asked.
User @AKCricTalks didn’t hold back, writing that Gaikwad had been “ruthlessly sacrificed” despite proving his worth with a century as Iyer’s designated backup.
