"I am really impressed with Tilak Varma" - Brad Hogg praises the 'versatile' youngster following maiden national call-up

Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg was full of praise for emerging batter Tilak Varma ahead of his maiden international endeavor. The young batter earned a maiden call-up to the national team on the back of a stellar 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season for the Mumbai Indians (MI).

Varma scored 343 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 164.11 as MI finished third in the season. With the management looking to phase out the seniors and introduce some young blood into the T20I team, he was included in the squad for the upcoming five-match away T20I series against the West Indies.

Admiring the way he prepares for the opposition bowlers, Brad Hogg recalled his experience with Tilak Varma prior to the IPL 2023 season.

"I am really impressed with Tilak Varma, I spent a bit of time with MI just before IPL 2023 and I just loved the way he studied opposition bowlers. I think he is a man for every situation. He can bat anywhere in the order," Hogg said on his YouTube channel.

With senior players like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli not in the scheme of things for the West Indies series at least, Team India have to field a makeshift top order. However, with the talent they have, it should not be an issue by any means.

IPL 2023 Orange Cap winner Shubman Gill has announced his arrival as an all-format player while the squad also presents several credible options.

Hogg named Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Suryakumar Yadav as his top-order batters for the series. The former spinner provided an explanation for his choices as well.

"Gill and Jaiswal both have high strike rates, love facing fast bowlers, and really take the game on in the powerplay. I think Samson really stabilizes the innings at No. 3. There is not one bowler that fazes Suryakumar Yadav, so he comes in at No. 4," Hogg said.

Suryakumar Yadav also enjoyed a prolific season for the Mumbai Indians (MI) during IPL 2023. The No.1-ranked T20I batter amassed 605 runs in 16 innings following a slow start to the campaign.

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Brad Hogg's T20I playing XI for Team India against West Indies

Shubman Gill, Yashsavi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Umran Malik

The T20I series between India and West Indies will kickstart on August 3 following the culmination of the two-match Test series and the three-match ODI rubber.

Is the T20I squad a template for Team India's vision for the 2024 T20 World Cup in terms of personnel? Let us know what you think.