Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan believes Tilak Varma could be Virat Kohli's successor for the 2026 T20 World Cup, citing Varma's ability to handle pressure and score runs in critical situations. Pathan drew parallels to Kohli's crucial, albeit not explosive, innings in a past final. Varma, currently third in T20I rankings with a strong average, is seen as vital to India's tactics despite an ongoing injury. The upcoming T20 World Cup will feature a new generation of players, with Suryakumar Yadav captaining and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is.