Not Ruturaj Gaikwad! Tilak Varma identified as Virat Kohli’s successor as ODI No. 3

Former Indian batter Wasim Jaffer has backed Tilak Varma to succeed Virat Kohli at the No. 3 position in India's ODI lineup. Jaffer argued on his YouTube channel that India would benefit from having a versatile left-handed batter in the role once Kohli retires, also naming Yashasvi Jaiswal as the ideal replacement for Rohit Sharma.

Jaffer highlighted Varma's adaptability across positions five and six, along with his first-class average of around 55. His comments followed Varma scoring an unbeaten 51 off 22 balls alongside Abhishek Sharma's 61, helping India defeat Pakistan to win the Asian Games 2026 gold medal on October 3.