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"I'm up for batting...": Tilak shuts down noise, defends Gambhir’s batting order ideology

Soumyajit Dutta

Tilak Varma and Gautam Gambhir [Source: @avesh_darbaar/X.com]Tilak Varma and Gautam Gambhir [Source: @avesh_darbaar/X.com]

India’s T20I cricket is amid constant experimentation under coach Gautam Gambhir due to frequent changes in the batting order. However, India’s emerging firepower in the middle, Tilak Varma, thinks that flexibility is a crucial and a vital cog in playing T20 cricket as he endorsed his coach’s idea of having a floating and flexible batting order.

For the unaware, in the second T20I against South Africa, to everyone’s surprise, after the early dismissal of Shubman Gill, Axar Patel was sent to bat at No. 3. This promotion raised eyebrows; however, Varma echoed Gambhir’s sentiment, saying that everyone is flexible with any batting order.

Tilak Varma supports Gambhir’s ideology of flexible batting order

Ahead of the third T20I against South Africa, Tilak Varma addressed the media while endorsing Gautam Gambhir’s sentiments on the batting order. He stressed that everyone is and should be flexible to bat at any position except the openers.

“Everyone is flexible, except openers. I’m up for batting at 3,4,5, or 6, wherever I get a chance. Everyone knows that everyone is flexible in order,” Varma said.

Speaking on Axar’s surprise promotion up the order, Tilak Varma cited the World Cup, where Axar Patel has done well higher up the order.

“As you can see, Axar Patel has already done the same thing in the World Cup. And he has done well in that position as well. Like I said, everyone is flexible. And the decision that team feels is going to be beneficial that day, we take that call,” Varma added.

The Axar Patel gamble, though, didn’t play out well for India since, in the 214-run chase, Axar Patel managed only 21 runs off 21 balls before being dismissed by Ottniel Baartman.

Tilak Varma himself came in at No. 5 and played a decent knock of 62 runs off 34 balls. However, as the required run rate crept up at a steady pace, Varma’s knock could not save India’s chase as his partners collapsed continuously at the other end.

Varma on selection headaches

Coming to selection headaches and his place in the playing XI, Tilak Varma assured that he doesn’t worry about being given an opportunity. He is ready whenever the team needs him, with a strong mentality to handle anything.

“We’ve been practicing since childhood...Because we follow the basics...If you’re mentally strong, you’ll be successful everywhere. So in my mind, I just want to be mentally strong. And wherever I go, I just think about what I can do for the team,” Varma concluded.

India will be depending on Tilak Varma once again in the third T20I at Dharamsala on December 14 as the hosts look to gain an edge in the five-match T20I series.