Tilak Varma being considered as Shreyas Iyer's backup for 2027 ODI World Cup

India's selectors and team management are weighing Tilak Varma as a backup option for Shreyas Iyer in the batting order ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in South Africa. The development is part of a wider effort to address depth concerns in the middle order well before the tournament.

According to reports, Tilak's left-handed batting is regarded as a valuable asset because it introduces variety into a predominantly right-handed lineup. The team management has also asked him to develop his off-break bowling, which is believed to carry considerable potential. A specific concern flagged internally is the lack of bowling contributions from the top order, a gap that has been placing additional demands on the specialist bowlers and the lower order.

"Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill feel there isn’t any backup ready for the middle order. With Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy being prone to injuries, they want someone in the top order who can at least chip in with four overs in an ODI," a source was quoted as saying in a Times of India report.

Why is Indian team looking for a Shreyas Iyer backup?

The push for a reliable middle-order alternative is driven by a combination of fitness concerns and the age profile of several senior players.

"The team has to be prepared for conditions in South Africa in the World Cup. Iyer got injured in Australia and his game against pace and bounce is untested of late. The team already has two ageing players in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. They are having niggles as well. KL Rahul too will be over 35 by the time the World Cup comes around. Ravindra Jadeja isn’t a certainty either. The fielding of the team has suffered due to fitness issues. The team management feels that they need younger backups ready," the source added.

Meaningful World Cup planning is expected to begin only when India tour New Zealand in October. The upcoming home ODI series against West Indies, starting September 27, will largely feature fringe players, as the senior contingent will not be available. Simultaneously, a full-strength T20 side is set to represent India at the Asian Games in Japan during the same period.

Where does Devdutt Padikkal fit into India's ODI plans?

The selectors are proceeding carefully with Devdutt Padikkal's integration into the ODI setup. The management is reluctant to push him into a middle-order role given that he has carved out a clear identity as a white-ball opener, and they want to protect that positional clarity.

The handling of Ruturaj Gaikwad's selection earlier also offers useful context in this regard.

"Gaikwad was picked as backup opener since Gill was injured. The team management feels Tilak could have been tried in that place. That’s why they don’t want to rush Devdutt Padikkal in the ODI setup because he found his calling in white-ball cricket while opening the batting," it added further.

The broader approach reflects a deliberate effort to assign defined roles to each backup candidate rather than treating them as interchangeable options. Tilak's ability to bowl a short spell of four overs in an ODI is a meaningful factor in his consideration for the middle-order slot, giving the team an additional resource that pure batters in the same position cannot offer.