"He Is Surely In The Contingency Plan": Ravichandran Ashwin On Star India Batter

Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has urged the the national selectors and team management to show faith in a talent like Tilak Varma and include the left-hander in the World Cup squad as he could possibly be the answer to India's middle-order woes with multiple batters still recovering from injuries. Ashwin's comments were also backed by former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad, who wouldn't mind seeing Varma in the final 15, provided Shreyas Iyer fails to make the cut. The 20-year-old stylish Hyderabad left-hander has impressed one and all with scores of 39, 50 and 49 not out in three T20I games in the West Indies and not for once looked out of place at the international level.

"This is neck-and-neck with respect to the World Cup. So, will they think about Tilak Varma as an option if we don't have enough backups? Because Sanju Samson has performed really well in ODIs. But the exciting part about Tilak Varma is that he is a left-hander and Team India is lacking left-handers. Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) is the only left-handed batter in the top 7," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

With star batters KL Rahul (thigh surgery) and Iyer (lower back surgery) are running against time to get fit for the 50-over showpiece starting October 5, neither of the two back-up options Suryakumar Yadav and Samson has inspired confidence of the highest order as the conundrum with regards to the No. 4 slot continues.

While Surya enjoys the team management's confidence and will make it as an extra middle-order option in the squad, Samson has wasted way too many opportunities and if Rahul is fit, then certainly Ishan Kishan will be the second keeper-cum-reserve opener.

Ashwin gave his rationale behind picking Varma as he feels most of the