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Over the last few days, there has been plenty of chatter about whether India ought to consider Tilak Varma for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The left-hander batter made his international bow in the first T20I against the West Indies and has made an instant impression with scores of 39, 51, and 49 not out in his first three outings. What has stood out is his clarity and maturity under pressure, showing nerves that an experienced international would be proud of.
Tilak also boasts an outstanding List-A record — he has tallied 1236 runs in 25 matches in the format at a staggering average of 56.18, scoring five half-centuries and as many centuries.
India are due to play a maximum of nine more ODIs across the Asia Cup and their home series against Australia in the lead-up to the 2023 ODI World Cup. With uncertainty lingering over the fitness of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, coupled with Suryakumar Yadav failing to take his chances in the format, the calls to bolt Tilak into the Asia Cup squad have done the rounds among fans and pundits.
While it would be a very bold move given that there's very little time to go for the World Cup, it's not as though fast-tracking a player ahead of the ODI World Cup hasn't worked before.
Here are three instances of a player being fast-tracked into the ODI World Cup proving to be a masterstroke.
#1 Jofra Archer in 2019
That Jofra Archer would play for England was always a question of when and never if. Having moved over to Sussex from Barbados, he had to serve a period of seven years as a resident of England in order to qualify to play international cricket for the country.
Months ahead of the 2019 World Cup though, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) tweaked its rules to reduce the period to three years. Archer played all of three ODIs ahead of the marquee event while being bolted into the main squad and the starting XI.
It didn't come as a surprise and his returns showed why. The speedster returned 20 wickets from 11 matches to finish as the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament. He was even entrusted with the responsibility of sending down the Super Over in the final against New Zealand and successfully so as England lifted their maiden men's ODI World Cup.
#2 Shaun Tait in 2007
A 22-year-old Shaun Tait debuted for Australia during the famous Ashes series of 2005. But it wasn't until 2007 that he received his ODI cap, with just over a month to go for the World Cup in the West Indies.
Bagging 12 wickets in six One-Day Cup matches for South Australia certainly helped his cause but he played a mere four ODI matches and made an expensive start to his career in the format before being fast-tracked into the World Cup squad.
With Brett Lee out of the event with an injury, Australia needed some extra pace to complement the control offered by Glenn McGrath and Nathan Bracken. Tait proved his selection to be a masterstroke as he bowled with serious heat and proved to be a wicket-taking menace.
He finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 23 scalps at an average of 20.30 with his only wicketless outing coming in the final. The 'Wild Thing' as he's often referred to proved to be a vital cog in what was a spotless campaign for Australia.
#3 Inzamam-ul-Haq in 1992
A 21-year-old Inzamam-ul-Haq was handed his international cap just two months out of the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. He went on to make an instant impression with two half-centuries and two centuries in his first six ODI innings to break into Pakistan's World Cup squad led by Imran Khan.
It was a big gamble but Inzamam found himself to be a regular in the playing XI. He didn't have the greatest of campaigns having failed to convert his starts into big scores. But Pakistan's fairytale redemption arc at the World Cup coincided with an upswing in form for Inzamam, who was backed throughout the campaign.
Chasing 263 in the semifinal against pre-tournament favorites New Zealand, Pakistan were in a spot of bother at 140/4 one delivery into the 35th over. Inzamam then blew the co-hosts out of the water with an astounding counter-attack, blasting his way to a 37-ball 60 that powered his team into the final.
He would also make his presence felt in the final against England, courtesy of a 35-ball 42 that powered Pakistan to a winning total of 249/6. A triumphant campaign vindicated their move to fast-track Inzamam, who would go on to become a household name in international cricketing circles.
Should India gamble on Tilak Varma and fast-track him for the 2023 World Cup? Have your say in the comments section below!
Also read: 3 times Roelof van der Merwe defied his age in a cricket match
