'Tilak Varma has not grabbed his chances'

With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's return in India's T20 team, the spotlight is on the younger players to prove themselves ahead of this year's T20 World Cup.

Tilak Varma, who came into the Indian team on the back of his performances for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023, has found the going tough at the international level.

Varma, 21, has scored two fifties in 16 T20 Internationals.

He enjoyed a good debut series in the West Indies, but since then he has managed just 163 runs in 10 innings at an average of 23.28, with one fifty.

His form in the last six innings has been patchy with scores of 12, 7 not out, 31 not out, 29, 0 and 26.

After falling for 26 in the first T20 International against Afghanistan on Thursday, former India batter Aakash Chopra questioned the Hyderabad left-hander's place in the Indian team.

'After Rohit and Shubman (Gill) got out, Tilak Varma was there and Shivam Dube was sent up the order. Tilak played well for some time, but then got out off (Azmatullah) Omarzai's bowling. Tilak Varma has not grabbed his chances fully,' Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

'Will Tilak Varma play the next match? I feel he might get dropped because if both Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal become available, who will go out?', Chopra asked.

'No one can leave Shivam Dube out nor will anyone touch Rinku Singh. Do not know about Shubman Gill, but I feel Tilak Varma might be dropped for the next match,' Chopra added.

Chopra was also unhappy with wicket-keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma after he threw his wicket way for 31 in the 14th over instead of staying till the end to finish the match.

'Jitesh played well, but he will have to be mindful that he needs to finish matches because he could have done that. He is batting so beautifully.'

'If he converts his 31 runs to 45-50 and finishes the match, there would not be any doubt, because his place is not yet cemented. It is going to take some time because, for that slot, Sanju Samson is there for sure, don't rule out K L Rahul as you might see him bat down the order in the IPL, and Rishabh Pant's name can come if he gets fit.'