India eyes Tilak Varma as Shreyas Iyer’s ODI middle-order backup

India’s selection panel is evaluating Tilak Varma as a standby for Shreyas Iyer in the ODI World Cup batting line-up, emphasizing his left-handed style to break the dominance of right-handers. The board has instructed Varma to work on his off-breaks, addressing concerns over limited bowling depth in the top order. Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill have expressed that no fully prepared middle-order alternative exists, given injury risks to Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy and the need for a player who can bowl four overs if required.

Recent series have forced the team to shuffle bowlers like Washington Sundar and Axar Patel into the No. 5 or No. 6 slots. With senior players such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and possibly Ravindra Jadeja facing fitness niggles, the management seeks younger backups. The selection committee will meet by early September to name the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, and fitness updates for Hardik, Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy are awaited.