“If he plays at number four in ODIs” - Irfan Pathan excited to see Tilak Varma in India’s ODI squad

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan has said that he’s excited to see the name of Tilak Varma in Indian ODI squad that was announced by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on November 23, 2025. India will play three ODIs against South Africa from November 30 and KL Rahul will lead the side in absence of captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer.

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Rishabh Pant, the star wicketkeeper-batsman, returns to the ODI team, while Ruturaj Gaikwad joins them. Ravindra Jadeja, a veteran all-rounder, returns after missing the Australian tour. With India's ODI number four Shreyas Iyer also out due to injury, the selectors have chosen Tilak Varma for the team. 

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes Tilak might do well if given a chance at number four in ODIs against South Africa. In the T20I format, the southpaw bats in the middle of India's lineup.

Pathan added that Tilak's worth should have increased following his Asia Cup 2025 final heroics against Pakistan in September of this year. In the dramatic T20I duel, the southpaw batted at number four and produced a match-winning 69 not out to secure India's five-wicket victory.

"Keep an eye on Tilak Varma, because of the way he won matches against Pakistan in the T20 finals and handled pressure in the Asia Cup. I felt that after that, his stock should have gone up. He is a player who can do very well in the ODI format.

Ideally, I would like to see him play higher up in T20s at number three, but if he plays at number four in ODIs, that is fine too. He takes time to settle and handles pressure well, which we have seen in recent performances. He is a left-handed batter, good at running between the wickets, and uses shots like the slog sweep effectively when under pressure," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

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

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