'Rinku Singh could have been a better choice' — Aakash Chopra reflects on Tilak Varma's India selection

India have rewarded Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma for their spectacular IPL 2023 performances by picking them for the T20I series against West Indies but one name that missed out on selection is Rinku Singh. While there’s no clarity why the Kolkata Knights Rider batter was not picked by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel, former India opener Aakash Chopra feels that Rinku would have been a better option for India than Tilak if selectors are looking for a finisher. Read: India's squad for West Indies T20Is “In the middle order - Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya. I don’t think the team is thinking of playing Tilak Varma at No. 3. If they were searching for a player to bat after Hardik Pandya, then Rinku Singh could have been a better choice unless Tilak Varma will play at No. 3,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel. On why Tialk may not get to bat at No 3, Chopra explained: “You might want to play Tilak Varma down the order because whether it is Ishan Kishan or Sanju Samson, the two wicketkeepers you have picked, their best place for batting is in the top three.” Given how successful Ishan Kishan has been as an opener and Sanju Samson as No 3 in IPL, it’s difficult to see Tilak play at No 3 a spot that has belonged to him at Mumbai Indians quite often. In case India play Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal as opener, Kishan or Sanju can be the No 3 batter. And in case Kishan opens, Sanju becomes a surety for the spot. Aaaksh Chorpa also added that Tilak may not get the No 4 spot as well because management wouldn’t want Suryakumar Yadav to bat at a spot lower than No 4. In such a case, Tilak may come at No 6 after Hardik Pandya at No 5 and Chopra feels that Rinku is better suited for the role of a finisher. “If you keep them in the top three, Tilak Varma will have to go down. If he goes down, you don’t want to send Suryakumar Yadav lower than No. 4, ideally at three and latest at four.” “Then Hardik Pandya at No. 5. So Tilak Varma at No. 6. Is that the right choice? This will be one question because in the last IPL, he played as well, he batted at the top of the order at the start, he played very well, in fact I remember the 70-run knock against Bangalore.” “He came in the lower order after that, when they once again started to bat Cameron Green up the order. There also he batted well but if he has not been selected for No. 3, if he has been selected for Nos. 5, 6 or 7, Rinku Singh could have been a better choice.”