Former India captain and ex-chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth has launched a scathing criticism of Tilak Varma following India’s disappointing 2-0 T20I series defeat to Ireland in Belfast. The legendary opener questioned Tilak’s approach during the middle overs, accusing the young batter of batting for personal milestones rather than prioritising the team’s needs in a challenging run chase.

India’s batting unit came under intense scrutiny after back-to-back defeats, with the middle order failing to convert promising positions into victories. Among those under the spotlight was Tilak Varma, whose struggles against spin have become an increasing concern. His numbers against slower bowlers have steadily declined since IPL 2024, and India had already adjusted his role during the 2026 T20 World Cup by pushing him lower down the order to operate as a finisher instead of a middle-order aggressor.

Srikkanth believes that India’s conservative batting through the middle overs proved costly in both matches. Along with Shivam Dube and Axar Patel, Tilak failed to maintain the required scoring rate, allowing Ireland’s bowlers to dictate terms on pitches that demanded calculated aggression.

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“You can’t play the way India did in the middle phase, especially Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel. All their strike rates were poor. You have to stabilise a bit and then start attacking in the middle phase. Otherwise, you’ll be finished if you fail in the middle phase,” Kris Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

The former India selector was particularly critical of Tilak’s innings in the second T20I. Chasing 155 after India had slipped to 19/3, Tilak attempted to anchor the innings while wickets continued to fall around him. However, Srikkanth felt the left-hander became overly cautious, leaving too much for the closing stages as India eventually fell short by a single run.

“Tilak Varma was just playing for himself by sneaking in ones and twos. He tried to take it to the end and become the hero. He thought of winning it in the end and celebrating by lifting his jersey. These targets have to be chased down with an over to spare and not go till the end,” Kris Srikkanth added.

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Despite the criticism, Tilak remains an integral part of India’s long-term T20 plans. The team management rates his leadership qualities highly and has already appointed him as the T20I vice-captain. That faith could make any immediate selection decisions more complicated, even as India look to bounce back in the upcoming five-match T20I series against England.