India's T20I batting balance under scrutiny ahead of Afghanistan series

India's search for consistency in T20I cricket will continue with a three-match series against Afghanistan, but the team's batting combination could once again come under scrutiny, particularly with vice-captain Tilak Varma's role yet to appear fully settled. India, led by Shreyas Iyer, endured a difficult run following their second consecutive T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year. The team lost all six of its T20Is against Ireland and England before finally putting together a 3-0 clean sweep against Zimbabwe. The Afghanistan series begins on September 13 (Saturday), with India also scheduled to play a historic T20I against Japan before featuring in the Asian Games 2026.

AB de Villiers questions Tilak Varma's role

With several established batters competing for places, former South Africa star AB de Villiers believes India could face a selection headache, particularly when it comes to deciding where Tilak Varma fits into the batting order. Speaking on his YouTube channel, de Villiers pointed to the number of batting options available to India and questioned how the team would accommodate its vice-captain. "There will definitely be some selection issues with regard to the batters. Obviously, Shreyas, captain, Ishan Kishan, Samson, Sooryavanshi, and then there are all-rounders, Tilak Varma; I think that’s where the balance is quite tricky. Where will he bat?" de Villiers said. Tilak's recent numbers also underline why his position could become a talking point. Since the 2026 T20 World Cup, the left-hander has accumulated 255 runs from 10 innings at a strike rate of 159.36. He has crossed the 50-run mark three times in those innings, highlighting an inconsistent run despite his ability to score quickly.

India's batting balance under scrutiny

The presence of Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gives India several batting options, while the team also has to factor in its all-rounders. For de Villiers, the challenge is not simply about selecting the strongest players but finding a combination in which every batter has a clearly defined role. He believes India have enough quality in their squad to deal with Afghanistan, but stressed that clarity will be particularly important against a side he considers dangerous. "Really, really strong squad, but the balance will be tricky to figure out. It is T20 cricket, so they can play around with the squad a little bit. There are different roles, but the role clarification will still be incredibly important for India, as they are playing quite a dangerous team," de Villiers stated.

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The Afghanistan series marks the next stage of India's T20I campaign after their contrasting results against Ireland, England and Zimbabwe. Under Iyer, India will now look to build greater stability in the format, with the batting order likely to be one of the key areas under the spotlight. The three-match series against Afghanistan starts on September 13, before India take on Japan in a historic T20I and then turn their attention to the Asian Games 2026.