T20 World Cup 2026: Irfan Pathan Backs THIS Young Indian Star as Virat Kohli's Successor at No.3

Following Virat Kohli’s T20I retirement, India is searching for a new No.3. Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has identified young Indian batter as the ideal successor, praising his ability to handle pressure and play match-winning innings like Kohli.

Former Team India captain and star batter Virat Kohli is not part of the squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, as he retired from T20Is following the Men in Blue’s triumph in the previous edition of the tournament. However, Kohli’s retirement has opened the door for a new batting leader in the shortest format of the game at the international level.

Majority of his T20I career, Kohli batted at No.3 and amassed 3076 runs, including 32 fifties, at an average of 53.96 in 83 matches, the most by any batter at this position in the format. Overall, the star batter has aggregated 4188 runs, including a century and 38 fifties, at an average of 48.69 in 125 T20I matches.

Following the retirement of Kohli in T20Is, the Team India management has tried seven different players, including Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Axar Patel, but they have yet to produce a consistent long-term solution capable of filling the void left by the former captain at No.3.

Irfan Pathan Identifies Kohli’s Successor at No.3

As Team India management continues to search for a long-term option at No.3 ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, former all-rounder turned commentator, Irfan Pathan, saw a young Indian star as a successor to Virat Kohli at a crucial batting position in T20Is.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan stated that Tilak Varma has already shown a big-match temperament while batting at No.3 and 4, pointing to his match-winning knock against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025, a role similar to the one Virat Kohli played for India in pressure situations in T20 internationals.

“Tilak Varma has batted at No. 3 and No. 4. He has absorbed pressure and hit hundreds. Tilak also played an outstanding knock against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final, and India would not have won if not for that innings," Irfan Pathan said.

“In that regard, Tilak has raised his stock. It is the kind of role Virat Kohli used to play. Kohli is a massive player, and whenever there was pressure, he used to absorb it well," he added.

In the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan, India were left reeling at 20/3 before Tilak Varma shouldered the responsibility of anchoring the innings and played an unbeaten knock of 69 off 53 balls to help the Men in Blue chase down the 147-run target with two balls to spare in the final over, cementing his reputation as a dependable middle-order batter capable of performing under immense pressure.

Pathan Draws a Parallel between Tilak and Kohli

Irfan Pathan noted that Virat Kohli did not score a century in the T20 World Cups, but he was always trusted to deliver in critical moments, a similar trait he sees in Tilak Varma as well.

“He (Kohli) did not score in the entire T20 World Cup, but people trusted him to come good in the final. Kohli played a knock that was not as fiery, but given the situation, it was critical," the former all-rounder said.

“The same way Tilak Varma played in the final. India had lost three wickets in the power play, and he backed his game plan by taking calculated risks. Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube played some high-risk shots as India won the final," he added.

At the No.3 spot, Tilak Varma has amassed 542 runs, including two centuries and three fifties, at an average of 60.22 in 16 T20I matches. While batting at the No.4 position, the southpaw has aggregated 490 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 54.44 in 16 matches. This highlights that Tilak is capable of taking responsibility in the middle order and playing match-winning innings under pressure.

Tilak Varma is currently recovering from abdominal injury following surgery and has been ruled out of the first three T20Is of the five-match series against New Zealand.