Can Tilak Varma Call Himself Indias Best Number 3 Ahead of Virat Kohli

Tilak Varma, who has newly taken the number 3 spot in the Indian cricket team, has been making headlines. During the India tour of South Africa, Varma smashed two centuries, claiming his spot at number three. After his century, he liked an Instagram reel which claimed him as India's best number 3 batsman.

He received relentless trolling from the Indian fans, as they started questioning his achievements. There were questions asked by fans, such as, “Has he chased down a big total for the team? Has he ever defeated Pakistan in a game where the top order collapsed? Has he helped India to win any ICC event?”

To this, Tilak Varma has now answered one question of performing against Pakistan in a high-stakes encounter. He helped the Indian team to win the Asia Cup 2025 final, going from 20/3 to 150/5, chasing down the total with ease. There was a time when Pakistan had almost 70% chances to win the game, but Varma took it down to zero, with 2 balls remaining.

1. Tilak Varma at Number 3

Tilak Varma took the number 3 spot in the Indian cricket team a few months ago. But he ensured to prove himself as the next number 3, which the Indian team wanted after the retirement of Virat Kohli. Although he has played only a few games at this position, his stats remain phenomenal.

Tilak Varma at Number 3:

• Innings: 13
• Not Out: 5
• Runs: 443
• Average: 55.37
• Strike Rate: 169.73
• 100s: 2
• 50s: 2

Tilak Varma first started to play at this spot during the India tour of the West Indies in 2023. He surely didn't have a good start, as he scored just 7 runs in his debut match. Later in the series against Ireland, too, he registered a golden duck and went on to score just a run in the next game.

As his struggles at number three continued, he scored his first T20I half-century against Bangladesh in the Asian Games. Following this, Virat Kohli, India's ideal number 3, was unavailable after the 2023 World Cup, which gave more opportunities to Tilak Varma.

But he was not able to score well in those games either, and was not seen in the team for the T20 World Cup 2024. He made his comeback to the Indian team as a number 3 batsman in the India tour of South Africa 2024. Playing just two games at this spot, he went on to score consecutive centuries against the Proteas.

Surely with two centuries coming at the number three position, Tilak Varma has now overtaken Virat Kohli in this case. But he still has a long way to go to ensure that he is better than Virat Kohli at the number 3 spot.

2. Virat Kohli at Number 3

Virat Kohli, India's generational talent, shows that sometimes even words are not enough to define the contribution one has made to the team. Virat held the number 3 spot in the Indian team for several years and ensured that during the chase, the team was able to bring down its best.

Virat Kohli at Number 3:

• Innings: 80
• Not Out: 23
• Runs: 3096
• Average: 53.96
• Strike Rate: 135.26
• 100s: 0
• 50s: 32

Staying not out in 23 innings out of 80, it shows that Virat Kohli plays a well-calculated innings to help India chase down the target. He has played numerous innings against Pakistan and even other countries, helping India to win the games at times when a loss was just a wicket away.

Whether it is his 82* against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 or 72* against South Africa in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2014, Virat Kohli has proven himself to be the man for the big stages. His contributions for the Indian team still remain vital, and he will still be regarded as the best number 3 batsman for the team in the T20I format.