With less than a month to go before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off in India and Sri Lanka, former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has singled out a young star as the most critical component of the Indian batting lineup. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan emphasized that the star batter’s ability to anchor the innings makes him the spiritual successor to Virat Kohli’s role in the shortest format.

The comments come at a time when the Men in Blue are finalizing their combinations for the marquee event, amid concerns regarding the form of senior players and sown race against time to regain full fitness.

Irfan Pathan picks the Glue of Indian team for T20 World Cup 2026

Pathan did not mince words when describing the importance of the 23-year-old southpaw. In a lineup packed with aggressive stroke-makers, Pathan believes Tilak Varma offers the necessary stability to prevent collapses, a role previously mastered by Kohli.

“From the perspective of batting, Tilak Varma is extremely critical and he is the glue of the team. Tilak has batted at No. 3 and No. 4. He has absorbed pressure and hit hundreds. It’s the kind of role Virat Kohli used to play,” said Pathan on his YouTube channel.

Also READ: 3 players who can replace Tilak Varma in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad if he misses out

Echoes of the Asia Cup 2025 final

To validate his high praise, Pathan pointed to Tilak’s match-winning performance in last year’s Asia Cup final. The Hyderabad-born batter played a mature hand under extreme pressure against arch-rivals Pakistan, guiding India to a memorable title win when the top order had faltered.

“Tilak also played an outstanding knock against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 final and India wouldn’t have won if not for that innings. In that regard, Tilak has risen his stock exponentially,” added Pathan.

Also READ: Irfan Pathan breaks down why KL Rahul at No.6 makes sense for India in ODIs