India's ODI selection logic shifts toward multi-role all-rounders ahead of 2027 World Cup
Selectors view Tilak Varma as Shreyas Iyer's backup for the 2027 World Cup, prioritising all-round utility over specialist batting depth.
India's selectors see Tilak Varma as the middle-order cover for Shreyas Iyer heading into the 2027 World Cup. They're worried about the top order's lack of bowling options and want players who can do both jobs.
Varma bowls off-spin with the left hand, giving the side balance that pure batters can't match. The plan is to blood him during the West Indies ODI series and build that depth before the next cycle.
It's a clear break from the old habit of picking proven middle-order batsmen first. India face a packed calendar with the Asian Games and the West Indies tour on the horizon.
CricHubb Take
If the selectors keep pushing this route, India could end up with three part-time spinners in the top seven by 2027 — and the question becomes whether the specialist quicks left out will still be around when the bowling dries up.