India’s T20I vice-captain, Tilak Varma, has responded to recent criticism regarding his strike rate during the tours of Ireland and England. Varma stated that h
Varma’s Perspective on Batting Approach
India‘s T20I vice-captain, Tilak Varma, has responded to recent criticism regarding his strike rate during the tours of Ireland and England. Varma stated that his batting approach is always dictated by the team’s requirements and match situations, rather than a pursuit of personal milestones.
The left-handed batter faced scrutiny after accumulating 178 runs across seven T20Is during the two tours, achieving a strike rate of 131.85. Despite scoring two half-centuries—55 runs against Ireland in the second T20I and 53 runs against England in the fifth and final T20I—questions arose concerning his strategy in the middle overs.
Ahead of India‘s upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe, Varma clarified that he possesses the ability to attack from the initial ball but consciously adjusts his approach based on the prevailing match conditions and the team’s specific needs. He emphasised that adapting to various batting positions and overseas conditions necessitated taking responsibility over maintaining an aggressive strike rate.
Varma explained his batting philosophy, highlighting that the game often requires flexibility. He noted, “In this game, you have to bat in different positions, and especially in those conditions, it isn’t easy. At the same time, I’ve always said that I do whatever the team requires. If I have to grind it out for the team, I’ll do that. If I have to hit from ball one, I can do that as well.”
The 23-year-old pointed out that frequent top-order collapses experienced by India during the Ireland and England tours compelled the middle order to rebuild innings rather than play with complete freedom. He elaborated, “From Ireland to England, we were losing four or five wickets inside the powerplay or within the first 10 overs in several matches. Going in and trying to accelerate immediately in that situation doesn’t make sense. That’s always in my mind. I know I can hit the first ball, but I’m playing for the country, and that comes with responsibilities.”
Team Responsibility and Performance
Varma further indicated that, as the vice-captain, he is entrusted with specific responsibilities by the team management. He prioritises executing these plans over focusing on individual statistics. He stated, “Everything depends on what the team needs at that moment. Sometimes I have to bat till the end, and sometimes the team’s plans change according to the match situation. As vice-captain, the management gives me certain responsibilities after careful planning, and I want to fulfil those responsibilities. That’s why I play according to the team’s plans.”
During the 2026 UK and Ireland tour, Varma maintained an overall T20I strike rate of 131.85, scoring 178 runs from 135 balls faced. His tour included some highly explosive performances, such as a strike rate of 212.00 when he scored 53 runs off 25 balls in the final T20I at Southampton.
Despite the criticism, Varma managed to score two fifties across the seven T20 matches played during the tours. His highest score of 55 came in the second T20I against Ireland in Belfast.
The Indian team, under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, experienced a 2-0 T20I series defeat against Ireland, followed by a 4-0 loss to England. Varma acknowledged the challenging conditions overseas, particularly against a strong team like England, and stressed the importance of remaining calm under pressure and fostering a positive team environment.
He noted, “Conditions in Ireland were very different. Over the last two years, we played mostly in Asia and then when you travel overseas and face a good team like England, like we saw how they played in the T20 World Cup semi-finals. Facing a good team in different conditions will always have its set of challenges and expectations.”
Varma added that the team’s mindset is to maintain a positive atmosphere regardless of results, believing that momentum can be regained quickly. He stated, “It’s just a matter of one match or one series to get back the momentum. We’ll take the learnings from the last series and execute them here in the series in Zimbabwe.”
Looking Ahead to Zimbabwe
The Men in Blue are now set to participate in a three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, which is scheduled to commence on July 23.
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Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
