'Spot owned by the No.1 T20I batter': Decision to send Tilak Verma at No.3 instead of Ishan Kishan comes under fire in IND vs NZ 1st T20I originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- India beat New Zealand by four wickets, with Samson’s 67 leading the chase.
- Tilak scored six off 11 balls at No.3, while Kishan made one off three.
- Tilak scores much faster down the order than he did at No.3 and 4.
India's move to promote Tilak Varma at No. 3 over world No. 1 Ishan Kishan faces severe backlash
India’s move to promote Tilak Varma to No.3 ahead of Ishan Kishan has drawn sharp criticism, with fans arguing that the slot is already owned by the No.1 T20I batter.
The experiment did not work in the first T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch, even though India still won the match and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
India were set 226 to win, and they got there with 230/6 in 19.4 overs, two balls to spare. Sanju Samson set the tone at the top with 67 off 33 deliveries, an innings that included eight fours and four sixes and came at a strike rate of 203.03. He was bowled by Mitchell Santner when the score was 115.
Shreyas Iyer, who is leading the side, added 42 off 28 balls, and Axar Patel made a quick 24 off 14. Naman Dhir then finished things off with an unbeaten 42 off 15 balls, which featured five fours and two sixes.
Despite the victory, the talking point of the night, however, was the batting order reshuffle.
Tilak was pushed up to No.3 and managed only six runs off 11 balls before he fell to Michael Bracewell, and Kishan, who was moved down to No.5, was dismissed for one off three balls. Both wickets fell cheaply within a few overs, with India going from 117/2 to 122/4 in a short spell, and critics felt the move was unnecessary when the top three was already working.
Stats show Tilak Vama is better off as a finisher
Tilak has primarily batted at No.3 or 4 for India, and the changed top-order combination has pushed him down to No.5 or 6. He admitted after the West Indies series that the adjustment has been hard, and he explained how he was preparing for it at the post-match press conference in Bengaluru.
Tilak said: “It’s not that easy to change the numbers from 3 to 5 and 6. It will be slightly challenging. But I have been working on that.”
He also acknowledged Kishan’s form at the top at that stage, which left him with little room to argue for a different slot.
Tilak added: “Ishan Kishan is batting at number 3 now, and he is batting really brilliantly there. So, for me now, I think there is no option but to bat at 5 and 6 and do the job for the team.”
The numbers suggest Tilak is a better batter lower down. Since January 2025, he has scored at a strike rate of 123.1 across 19 T20I innings combined at No.3 and No.4.
MORE: IND vs NZ 1st T20I 2026: Samson & Dhir set up a 4-wicket win
| Batting position | Runs | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|
| No.3 (11 innings) | 304 | 125.6 |
| No.4 (6 innings) | 271 | 120.4 |
However, batting at No.5 or lower, Tilak has struck at 164.4 across 23 T20I innings, which shows how much faster he scores when he is allowed to play as a finisher.
| Batting position | Runs | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|
| No.5 (14 innings) | 341 | 147.6 |
| No.6 (7 innings) | 185 | 201.1 |
| No.7 (2 innings) | 23 | 209.1 |
He has been even more destructive in the death overs, with a strike rate of 234.31 in T20Is in 2026, the highest among Indian players. His new role has therefore been a significant gain for India, even though it was not entirely his own choice.
@MalhotraSaurabh was puzzled with the batting order re-shuffle and he wrote: "5* (9). Just when Tilak had settled into his role he's pushed into a spot owned by the no.1 T20I batter. Unbelievable call."
5* (9). Just when Tilak had settled into his role he's pushed into a spot owned by the no.1 T20I batter. Unbelievable call.
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) October 22, 2026
@superselector5 simply wrote: "Forceful experimentation."
@MalhotraSaurabh @BoredCricket Forceful experimentation
— P r /\ T | k (@superselector5) October 22, 2026
BCCI/Creimas
Why India should keep Tilak Varma as a finisher against New Zealand?
India won, and wins tend to hide problems, but this one was avoidable. Tilak’s record at No.5 to 7 this year is far stronger than at No.3 and 4, and the numbers in the death overs are among the best in the side, so moving him up looked like a solution to a problem that did not exist. Samson and Abhishek had already provided a 93-run opening stand, so the top order needed stability, not a change.
There is a fair argument that teams should test options before a big tournament, and Gambhir is entitled to try things. However, a series against a good New Zealand attack is a costly place to experiment, especially when the player in question has said that changing positions is hard. Kishan was also unfairly affected, since he was moved to No.5 and was dismissed for one.
India should now return Tilak to the finishing role where he is most comfortable and let Kishan bat in a slot that suits him. If the team wants to try a new combination, it should do so in a match that matters less. Consistency in roles is what builds confidence, and with four games remaining, there is still time to fix it.
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