IND vs WI: Former Indian spinner calls for Tilak Varma's inclusion in ODI squad to end No. 4 debate

India managed to keep the five-match T20I series alive versus hosts West Indies in the third match on Tuesday (August 08), in Guyana. After losing the first two encounters by a narrow margin, Hardik Pandya & Co. showed a lot of hunger to turn the tides in the third T20I. Opting to bat first, Rovman Powell-led West Indies posted 159 for 7 withKuldeep Yadav restricting the Windies courtesy of an impressive 3 for 28. In reply, India rode on Suryakumar Yadav's blistering 83 and Tilak Varma's 49 not out to cruise to a seven-wicket win with 13 balls to spare.

While Kuldeep and Surya made a strong statement in India's resounding win, Tilak Varma impressed once again in Indian colours. The left-hander made his debut in international cricket during the five-match T20I series opener and has managed scores of 39, 51 and 49* to impress many in the cricketing fraternity. After his unbeaten knock in India's easy win in Guyana, former Indian off-spinner Pragyan Ojha has made a bold claim.

'Is there a possibility of expediting Tilak Varma's inclusion to help settle India's No. 4 in ODIs?'

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"Is there a possibility of expediting #TilakVarma's inclusion to help settle the number 4 debate for #TeamIndia in ODIs? He appears promising, displays strong composure, and adds the advantage of being a left-handed batsman," Ojha said in a tweet.

Varma had a great run in IPL 2023, scoring 343 runs in 11 games at a strike rate of 164.11 Since his international debut, the 20-year-old has shown a lot of maturity in playing as per the situation and looks ready to hold the middle-order slot for long in the shorter formats. While he may not be inducted in the ODI setup at present, with Rohit Sharma & Co. gearing up for this year's ODI World Cup, Varma looks certain to be a part of the Indian setup across formats after the mega event in India (in October-November).

At the post-match presentation, captain Hardik opined on Surya-Tilak's match-winning 87-run third-wicket stand and hailed the former in particular. He said, "As a group, we have decided to bat with seven batters and we have to take responsibility, like it happened today if the batters score runs then you don't need someone at number eight. As Surya mentioned, they (SKY and Tilak) play together and spend time together, good to have someone like SKY in the team and when he takes responsibility it sends a message to the others."

The final two games will be held in Florida, USA during the upcoming weekend. Currently, Indiatrail West Indies 1-2 after the third T20I.

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