‘Vice-captains have been dropped’ – Mohammad Kaif shares blunt take on Tilak Varma after dismal outing against Ireland

Mohammad Kaif warned Tilak Varma not to be complacent and feel assured that his place in the Indian T20 setup is guaranteed just because he has been appointed the vice-captain.

The former India batter’s comments came after Tilak scored a painstaking 19 off 21 balls against Ireland in the first T20I at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Friday, June 26. The southpaw has not been in great form since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Barring a few notable innings in the IPL, Tilak failed to impress. He finished as the second-highest run-getter during the 50-over tri-series involving India A, Afghanistan A, and Sri Lanka A. However, his low strike rate was criticised by a section of fans.

After the abysmal performance against Ireland, Kaif said that Tilak should understand that vice-captaincy does not guarantee him a spot in the playing XI. The cricketer-turned-expert believes that no player in the Indian team, not even captain Shreyas Iyer, is indispensable.

“Tilak Varma is the vice-captain, but that doesn’t guarantee a place in the playing XI. Vice-captains have been dropped in the past. If he thinks his place in the team is secure just because he holds that role, he is highly mistaken. It’s not going to happen. He needs to maintain his performance, otherwise he will be left out. Axar Patel used to be the vice-captain earlier, but the management moved on to Tilak. There is not a single player in this Indian team who cannot be dropped-not even the captain,” said Kaif in a viral video.

Kaif noted that it is a unique time in Indian cricket where even star players are not guaranteed places in the national team, and the management is not shying away from taking bold decisions. The 45-year-old seemed to be hinting at the recent departures of veterans like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin from Test cricket.

“Everyone has to dig a well to drink water; everyone has to perform in every single match. We are going through an unprecedented phase in Indian cricket where even the biggest names aren’t immune. This has never happened before. The management has shown they aren’t afraid to take huge calls,” he added.