# Wasim Jaffer backs Tilak Varma to replace Kohli at No. 3 in ODIs 2026-10-04T15:11:32+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has backed Tilak Varma to replace Virat Kohli at No. 3 for India in ODIs. Jaffer praised Varma’s versatility, noting his century at No. 3 and his adaptation to Nos. 5 and 6. He said Varma’s first-class average of around 55 and his Duleep Trophy runs make him a fit for all three formats. Kohli, who turns 37, has indicated the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last for India. He retired from Tests in May 2025 and from T20Is after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Jaffer also said Yashasvi Jaiswal is the natural replacement for Rohit Sharma at the top. Varma played a key role in India’s Asian Games 2026 gold medal win on 3 October, scoring an unbeaten 51 at No. 6. ## Indian Opinion Analysis News9live and Crictracker both lead with Jaffer’s endorsement of Tilak Varma, but Crictracker adds a separate section on Kohli’s own World Cup motivation, including his quote about leaving everything out there. News9live focuses more on Varma’s Asian Games performance and Kohli’s recent ODI form. Both outlets present Jaffer’s remarks neutrally, with no government or political framing. The coverage is uniform straight reporting of a former player’s opinion, with Crictracker providing slightly more context on Kohli’s career timeline. No significant stance difference emerges between the two. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - news9live.com (neutral report) Leads with Jaffer's pick, includes match result and Kohli's form - crictracker.com (neutral report) Leads with Jaffer's pick, adds Kohli's own World Cup quote This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Tags: India cricket team, ODI, Tilak Varma, Virat Kohli, Wasim Jaffer Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/wasim-jaffer-backs-tilak-varma-to-replace-kohli-at-no-3-in-odis/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/wasim-jaffer-backs-tilak-varma-to-replace-kohli-at-no-3-in-odis/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/