“Fir se budho ki team khadi kar di” - Fans react to Tilak Varma’s exclusion from India squad for 2023 ODI World Cup

Tilak Varma didn’t find a place as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced a 15-member squad for the 2023 World Cup on Tuesday. The tournament will be played in India from October 5 to November 19.

Varma, who was recently hyped up as India’s No. 4 batter for the marquee ICC event, was ignored for the event. The development came even as the left-handed batter was recently included in India’s squad for the ongoing Asia Cup 2023.

The 20-year-old first garnered attention when he became India’s leading run-scorer in the T20I series against West Indies. He scored 173 runs in five games, including 51 and 49*. The Hyderabad batter, though, failed to deliver in two T20Is in Ireland, registering scores of 0 and 1.

Fans on X (previously known as Twitter) wanted Tilak Varma to be included in the India squad for the 50-over ICC tournament. One user wrote:

"Tilak Varma expected sir, a left hander in the middle can impact the game, which is evident in last match against Pakistan."

Here are some of the other reactions:

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Wasim Jaffer and Robin Uthappa share their views on Tilak Varma's exclusion for World Cup

Former India cricketers Wasim Jaffer and Robin Uthappa felt that Tilak Varma could’ve been a better option in place of Suryakumar Yadav owing to his ability to play at different positions and offer bowling services to his team.

Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo:

“I am surprised (with Tilak Varma’s exclusion). I would have liked a left-hander. Tilak Varma - he suits more in the 50-over format. The way he bats but they’ve gone with a gut feeling and probably they want to back Suryakumar Yadav.”

He continued:

“On top of that, Suryakumar Yadav, they’ve slotted him at No. 6, where Hardik Pandya is definitely gonna bat and play. Whether you risk him at 4 or 5, I don’t think so, they’ve tried him there, but he hasn’t succeeded. Tilak Varma gives you that versatility, he can bat from 4, 5, 6, wherever and on top of that being a left-hander bowls off-spin. He does more than what Suryakumar Yadav can.”

Uthappa echoed the same sentiments. On the same show, he said:

“I am surprised that they've gone with Suryakumar Yadav and not Tilak Varma. I am not questioning Suryakumar Yadav’s ability whatsoever. It’s just that left-handed advantage would’ve meant a lot to limited-overs cricket to any team. So, Tilak Varma had everything in the makings of starting off beautifully in international cricket.”

He continued:

“I think the potential that’s there is to see and he’s able to turn that potential into a little bit of reality as well in the limited opportunities that he’s got and the fact that he can bowl off-spin. With the fact that they’ve got Surya in there, they’re gonna miss out on a possible off-spinner, who’s gonna bowl in case you need a batter to bowl. Will it be Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, we’ll have to wait and see. I am a little surprised.”

Click here to check out the full schedule of the 2023 ODI World Cup.