Tilak Varma vs Suryakumar Yadav - who should India pick in their 2023 World Cup squad?

India has a provisional squad ready for the 2023 Cricket World Cup, and with the squad announcement set to take place on Tuesday, September 5, there is plenty of speculation over certain spots in the side.

While most of the slots are guaranteed to be filled by certain players, Suryakumar Yadav is one player whose place in the side has come under question. The No. 1 ranked T20I batter, Suryakumar Yadav's struggles to produce similar performances in ODI cricket have baffled fans and critics alike.

Meanwhile, his Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate Tilak Varma has grabbed every opportunity he has received, catching the attention of the selectors, and making it to the squad for the Asia Cup, despite not playing a single ODI before.

One of the major talking points once the squad is announced will be about which of Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma make it. Let's look at which of the two players will be the better choice.

---

A statistical comparison

One important fact that has to be stressed upon here is that Tilak Varma has yet to make his ODI debut, and has played only seven international matches, all of them T20Is. Therefore, the necessary adjustment in viewing and comparing Tilak's List A stats to international cricket needs to be made.

Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav is yet to make his mark in the ODI format.

Suryakumar Yadav's T20I numbers are insane, and by the time he's done, he might be the best T20I batter to play the game, and it wouldn't be a surprise. In 50 innings, he has a strike rate of 172.70 and an average of 46.02, scoring 1841 runs. He's the very definition of an X-Factor and can single-handedly win you games.

That's precisely why India kept finding ways to keep Yadav in the ODI team even as he struggled to score runs. At No. 4, he has scored only 30 runs in five innings, averaging only 6.00, not faring much better at No. 6 either.

While he has done significantly better at No. 5, the fact remains that SKY hasn't been a good batter in ODIs, failing to produce the kind of form expected of him despite being given plenty of chances. In 24 innings, he has scored only 511 runs and unfortunately, that doesn't quite cut it.

A quick peek at his List A numbers suggests that this shouldn't have been that much of a surprise. In 128 List A games, SKY has scored close to 3400 runs at an average of 34, a number that should be much higher, and a stat that indicates that ODIs aren't a format he has completely figured out yet.

Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma has made an excellent case for his inclusion in India's World Cup squad.

Tilak Varma came into the scene in IPL 2022, playing for the Mumbai Indians, and instantly, most people watching knew that he would play for India soon. The 20-year-old Tilak has shown maturity and composure beyond his age in his essays for Mumbai Indians, his state team Hyderabad, and in T20Is for India.

He has shown great temperament at the crease and loves batting in pressure situations, bailing MI out on multiple occasions in the last two seasons of the IPL. The youngster looks to be a much better fit in ODI cricket when compared to SKY, and his List A numbers reflect the same. In 25 List A matches, he has scored 1236 runs at an average of 56.18 and a healthy strike rate of 101.64.

Add to that the fact that he's a left-hander and you can see why Tilak Varma is seriously being considered as an option for India's 15-man squad. India would love to have a southpaw as a backup option for their middle-order batters, with their current first-choice XI not having any left-handers until Ravindra Jadeja at No. 7.

He's a really good player of spin, a gun fielder, and also offers them a part-time spin-bowling option as he's a decent off-spinner as well.

---

Final verdict

This is a tough decision to make for the Indian selectors as on paper, Tilak appears to have the edge over Suryakumar in ODIs, but he is yet to play an ODI for India, and there isn't long to go for the World Cup either.

On the other hand, Suryakumar Yadav has lit up the international stage in T20I cricket and has the ability to turn games on his own, and while he hasn't been able to find the right tempo in ODI cricket, he'll always be a prized wicket for the opposition.

Despite the caveats in his ODI game, a more experienced and known commodity in Suryakumar Yadav should receive India's backing ahead of Tilak Varma for the World Cup squad. However, Tilak should definitely be first in line among the reserves and should receive a sustained run of games in ODIs after the World Cup.

Final Verdict: Suryakumar Yadav to make the cut over Tilak Varma in India's squad for the 2023 Cricket World Cup.