"Makes that player very special" - Dinesh Karthik pinpoints what separates Tilak Varma from other batters

Veteran Indian keeper Dinesh Karthik sounded mighty impressed with Tilak Varma's impressive batting exploits in his debut T20I series against the West Indies.

Varma received praise from all quarters for his performances in the five-match series. Karthik pointed out how the southpaw excelled in different situations, even playing the role of a finisher in one of the games.

The seasoned campaigner emphasized that, apart from his ability to contribute with the bat, Tilak Varma's part-time spin bowling gives him an edge. Karthik opined that the 20-year-old will be a useful option as the Men in Blue don't have batters who can chip in with a couple of overs.

Speaking about Varma's position, here's what Dinesh Karthik said during an ICC Cricket World Cup shoot with Emirates:

"I was very impressed with Tilak Varma.I think he showed different sorts of temperament to his batting at times he went all guns blazing up the order, then there was a game where he had to finish it off with Hardik Pandya and he did that as well. More important is that he can add off-spin and we have not had somebody who can roll their arm over so that makes that player very special."

Notably, with 173 runs from five matches, Varma was the leading run-getter for India in the five-match series against the West Indies. The Hyderabad-born cricketer also picked up a wicket when he got a chance to bowl two overs in the fifth T20I against the West Indies.

Tilak Varma was rewarded for his performances by getting a place in India's squad for the upcoming 2023 edition of the Asia Cup.

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"He has probably been the in-form batter at No.4" - Dinesh Karthik on Shreyas Iyer

Shedding light on India's No. 4 conundrum, Dinesh Karthik stated that Shreyas Iyer will be the best bet for Rohit Sharma and Co., given that he has performed admirably in ODIs.

He, however, suggested that India should consider promoting Ravindra Jadeja higher up the order, as their batting lineup is filled with right-handers.

"I think Shreyas Iyer is the right player given his form and the scores he put together over the last eight months before getting injured. He has probably been the in-form batter at No.4, but with that there is going to be a small issue," Karthik said.

"India is going to be filled with right-handers with six out of the top seven (being) right-handers and (Ravindra) Jadeja is at No.7, so can Jadeja bat that little bit higher to bring that left-hand, right-hand combination that is a big question mark for India," he added. "Because leading into the World Cup, we are going to find pitches that take spin and you are going to need left-handers, and where does India stand with six right-handers in that top seven?"

India will kick off their World Cup 2023 preparations with the Asia Cup 2023. They will face Pakistan in their opening clash of the ODI continental tournament at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on September 2.