I will go with Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav in my team: Sandeep Patil

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Former India cricketer Sandeep Patil stated that he would like to go with Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav if he was choosing the teams for the upcoming Asia Cup and Men’s ODI World Cup.

With question marks still high over Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul reaching full fitness in time for the two big events due to their back and thigh injuries, there has been an increase in clamour for the selection of Suryakumar and Tilak, who is yet to make his ODI debut.

“100 per cent (if India should hand a debut to Tilak Varma?) I will go with Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav. Who will be in the playing XI, can be decided after looking at the balance and the opposition. But Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav will both be in my team,” said Patil, a former chief selector, to Star Sports.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri spoke about how impressed he is with Tilak, who brings in the left-handed batter factor India are currently lacking in. Tilak was the leading run-scorer in his debut T20I series against the West Indies with 173 runs in five innings, averaging 57.67.

In 25 List-A games, Tilak averages 56.18 with five centuries and as many fifties. 

"I'm very impressed with Tilak Varma. Very, very impressed. And I want a left-hander. So, if I'm looking for a left-hander in the middle order like Yuvraj Singh and before that was Suresh Raina at five, I would really look in that direction."

"Sandy and MSK have been selectors, and if I was a selector along with my panel, I would be looking at that current form, looking at how he's getting his runs. 

"So, when I look at the way he has got his runs over the last three months, whether it was for Mumbai Indians, for India, whether it was handling pressure, opposition, or different situations of the game, he has ticked all the boxes for someone so young," he said.

"When it comes to shot selection, when it comes to the range of shots, the ability to be unorthodox, he has everything. So, I'll be looking at him very closely because he is hot at the moment, his mindset, his confidence, he understands situations, which is for me the most important thing," he concluded.