‘There’s confidence and the fearlessness’ – Hardik Pandya praises debutant Tilak Varma’s impressive knock in 1st T20I against West Indies
Tilak Varma & Hardik Pandya (Source: Twitter)
India got off to a poor start in the five-match T20I series against West Indies, losing the first game by four runs on Thursday (August 3), at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. The Hardik Pandya-led side was relatively young, as veterans were rested in order to manage their workloads and provide exposure to youngsters. However, the visitors were outclassed by the Windies bowlers in the 150-run chase, and the only bright spot was debutant Tilak Varma’s impressive knock.
India lost both Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill inside the powerplay, and it was Varma and Suryakumar Yadav’s 39-run stand that gave them life. However, Yadav, who batted at a strike rate of 100, failed to unleash his T20 heroics, while his Mumbai Indians (MI) teammate faced the opposition bowlers fearlessly. While the rest struggled to find runs on a track that was not easy to bat on, Varma played confidently with 39 off 22 balls, including 3 sixes and 2 fours.
The southpaw needed just one ball to understand the nature of the pitch, as he opened his account with a maximum on the second ball and deposited the following one into the stands as well. His fearless six-hitting approach impressed everyone, including captain Pandya, who heaped praise on the debutant.
“Very pleasing to see the way he started his innings. Not a bad way to start your international cricket with a couple of sixes. There’s confidence and the fearlessness they have. They are going to do wonders for India,” Pandya said in the post-match presentation of the first T20I.
Can Varma secure Team India’s No. 4 spot?
Verma stunned everyone with his batting prowess for MI in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Mumbai-based franchise bought him for ₹1.7 crore ahead of the 2022 IPL auction after observing his domestic performances for Hyderabad. The 20-year-old did not disappoint them, scoring 397 runs at an average of 36.09 from 14 matches and a strike rate of 131.02 in his debut campaign in 2022. He continued his form this year too with 343 runs from 11 matches at an average of 42.88.
The youngster has started his international career on a high note and if he manages to continue the rich form, India will be able to fill the void of a left-handed middle-order batter since Yuvraj Singh’s retirement. India will aim to level the series when the two sides meet in the second T20I on Sunday at Providence Stadium in Guyana.
