- Tilak Varma appointed vice-captain for India’s T20 squad.
- This new leadership follows a post-T20 World Cup overhaul.
- Mohammad Kaif emphasized no player’s spot is guaranteed.
- Consistent performance is crucial, even for captain or vice-captain.
Tilak Varma is in the spotlight after being named the vice-captain of India’s T20 squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of Ireland and England. He will serve as deputy to the newly-appointed captain, Shreyas Iyer.
This is the first time Tilak has been handed a leadership role in his international career. After playing an important role in India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign, the 23-year-old has continued to remain in the selectors’ plans.
Recently, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif shared his thoughts on Tilak’s promotion and made it clear that “Nobody’s place is safe” while talking about India’s current selection process.
Tilak Varma – The New Vice-Captain
The left-hander was handed the vice-captaincy after the selectors opted for a major leadership overhaul despite India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year.
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While Suryakumar Yadav played a huge role in India’s World Cup victory, the team management decided to move in a different direction for the upcoming T20 series. Former vice-captain Axar Patel also no longer holds the leadership role.
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With this reshuffle, Tilak Varma has been given a major responsibility. The promotion marks another significant milestone in the youngster’s international career.
What Mohammad Kaif Said
Veteran cricketer Mohammad Kaif reacted to Tilak’s appointment as vice-captain and urged him not to treat the promotion as a guarantee of a permanent place in the Indian T20 side.
Kaif believes the current Indian team management rewards only consistent performances, regardless of whether a player is captain, vice-captain or a senior member of the squad.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: “Tilak Varma is the vice-captain, yes. But vice-captains have been dropped before as well. Being vice-captain doesn’t mean Tilak Varma’s place in the team is guaranteed. If Tilak starts thinking, ‘I’m the vice-captain, my spot is secure,’ that’s simply not how this Indian team works. If he wants to keep playing, he’ll have to maintain his form. Even a slight dip in form could see him dropped. Axar Patel was the vice-captain before. You’d remember that. He’s no longer the vice-captain. The team has now moved on to Tilak.”
He further added, “So in this Indian team, nobody’s place is guaranteed. Not even the captain’s. There’s no permanent vice-captain either. Everyone has to earn their place. Everyone has to perform in every single match. This is a phase in Indian cricket that we’ve never seen before. That’s the mindset of the coaches and selectors now. Your place in the team is on the line every single match. That’s why Tilak Varma may start with this team, but his place in the XI is by no means guaranteed going forward.”
Kaif’s remarks highlight the current approach of the Indian team management, where selections are based purely on performances. According to him, every player has to justify their place in the squad through consistency, no matter what role they hold within the team.
