Irfan Pathan backs Tilak Varma to excel at number 4 in ODIs against South Africa

Originally posted on Crictoday | By V.M.Suriya Narayanan | Last updated Nov 24, 2025 11:40 PM ET

The BCCI has revealed a 15‑player squad for the upcoming three‑match ODI series against South Africa beginning on November 30. KL Rahul will captain the side, stepping in for Shubman Gill, who is sidelined with a neck injury. The team also sees the return of Rishabh Pant, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja. With India’s regular No. 4, Shreyas Iyer, also ruled out, selectors have brought in Tilak Varma.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed confidence that Tilak could perform well if given the chance to bat at number 4 in ODIs against South Africa. The left-handed batter currently plays in the middle order for India in T20Is.

Pathan also mentioned that Tilak’s value has gone up after his match-winning performance in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan in September. Coming in at number 4 during the tense T20I, the left-handed batter scored an unbeaten 69, leading India to a five-wicket victory.

“Watch out for Tilak Varma, especially after his match-winning performances against Pakistan in the final and how he handled pressure during the Asia Cup. I believe that following his performance, his stocks have gone up. He’s a player who has the potential to excel in the ODI format,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

“Personally, I’d prefer to see him bat higher up at number three in T20Is, but if he plays at number four in ODIs, that’s perfectly fine as well. He takes his time to settle and manages pressure well, as we’ve seen in his recent performances. As a left-handed batter, he’s quick between the wickets and uses the slog sweep effectively,” he added.

India’s ODI squad for South Africa series: Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (C) (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhruv Jurel

This article first appeared on Crictoday and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: