3 Reasons why Tilak Varma has become India’s biggest concern amid ENG vs IND T20Is

Tilak Varma has come under a lot of scrutiny for his poor strike rate in T20Is

India came into the England T20I series hoping to leave behind the disappointment of a 2-0 defeat against Ireland. However, the opening T20I ended without a result after rain stopped play, even though India managed to put a competitive 189 with half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer.

While the top-order showed some positive signs, there are still some boxes that need to be ticked. Sanju Samson’s poor form has been a cause of concern, especially when 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is waiting for his opportunity on the bench.

But Samson is not only the batter under pressure. Tilak Varma has also struggled to make an impact in the recent matches. The left-hand batter, who was once seen as one of India’s most reliable T20 batters, has found it difficult to settle into the No. 5 role.

Tilak’s inability to accelerate in the middle overs has slowed India’s innings at crucial moments, and this allows the opposition to dominate the game. Ahead of the second T20I in Manchester, Tilak’s form will be a major talking point. Here are three reasons why his role at No. 5 has become one of India’s biggest concerns.

3 Reasons why Tilak Varma at No.5 is India’s Biggest Concern

1. Tilak Varma’s move to No. 5 has not worked so far

Tilak’s move to No. 5 has not looked like a natural shift. For most of 2024 and early 2025, he was one of India’s best batters in the top four, scoring back-to-back hundreds in South Africa and some brilliant knocks in high-pressure chases.

But then in 2026, Tilak batted at No. 3 managed to score only 107 runs in his first five matches. The team management was forced to rethink, and Varma slipped to No. 5, but this also didn’t work out.

2. India’s middle overs are losing momentum

One of India’s biggest strengths over the last two years was scoring quickly during the middle overs, and this is something that has not happened consistently in recent matches.

Tilak Varma is finding it difficult to score freely, and his strike rate has dropped significantly compared to last year. In the recent games, he struggled to score boundaries once the field was spread, which also increased the number of dot balls.

This creates extra pressure on the finishers as there is lots of work left behind in the final overs. Against strong teams like England, slowing down in the middle phase often led to a decent total.

3. Vice-captaincy makes the selection decision more difficult

Another factor that makes this more complicated is Tilak’s recent appointment as India’s vice-captain in T20Is. Generally, players going through poor form often get rested for a couple of games and then make their comeback.

However, dropping a vice-captain immediately after giving him a leadership role sends a different message to the squad. The management has already made it clear that they want to back players who have performed in the past. That is why Tilak is likely to get more opportunities despite his struggles.

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