'He should play Virat Kohli's role' - Former India player picks this player to anchor India's innings after dismal performance against South Africa in T20 World Cup 2026
Kaif stressed that becoming a chase master requires batting until the final over and criticized Tilak Varma for getting out early while attacking. Kaif also noted that with several aggressive players in the lineup, the team needs one batter to anchor the innings and finish games.
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Mohammad Kaif voiced his frustration over Tilak Varma’s dismissal during India’s Super 8 clash against South Africa national cricket team in the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday, February 22. After being responsible for part of India’s crushing defeat at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the left-hander only scored one run in two balls and was out after charging at Marco Jansen trying to hit a big shot. Kaif said Varma didn’t hit his shot because he was chasing runs rather than sticking to his specific job.
The former player turned commentator stated that you must have an understanding of the match and willpower to be able to perform well in high-pressure situations and compared Varma’s shot to virat’s exact shot that made him get out. In a video similar to his YouTube channel, he mentioned that having composure and knowing what your role is can often be the difference in major/tournament matches.
"Tilak Varma has his own way of playing. He can afford to play with a slow strike rate. However, he got out while playing a big shot. There was pressure building on him for the strike rate. As a player, you do keep track of what is being said. But it is the job of the management to ask the player to stick to his role. He should play Virat Kohli's role. He moved away from his gameplay by stepping out and going for a big shot. You'll never be able to play if you listen to what others are saying," Kaif said reflecting on India's loss against Sout Africa in Super 8 clash.
There should be at least one player who takes the game deep: Kaif
The prominent Indian batter said that in order to be a successful batter to chase runs in limited overs, the batter must remain at the crease until the 20th over. He specifically mentioned that Tilak Varma was dismissed far too quickly because he played an aggressive shot without first checking that he was playing the correct role in the side's batting order. He also mentioned several players such as Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh that are all aggressive types of batsmen; therefore, he reiterated that the team's needs at least one batsman who can be the innings anchor and take the game deep.
"To become a chase master, you will have to first bat till the 20th over. Tilak Varma got out early, trying to hit. What is your role? Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Washington Sundar, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Rinku Singh play attacking cricket. There should be at least one player who takes the game deep," he concluded.
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